


SuperOmens:- The family business

by SuperxjinX



Series: SuperOmens [2]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Supernatural
Genre: Adventure, Angels, Angst, Aziraphale's Bookshop (Good Omens), Being Lost, Books, Canon-Typical Violence, Crime Fighting, Crowley's Bentley (Good Omens), Demons, Established Relationship, Evil, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Good, Hiding, History, Home, How Do I Tag, Humor, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Making Up, Men of Letters Bunker (Supernatural), Monsters, Nephilim, On the Run, Other, Pie, Romance, Vacation, alternative universe, gender fluid crowley
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 72,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27643228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperxjinX/pseuds/SuperxjinX
Summary: It's been two weeks for Aziraphale and Crowley since Sam  Dean and Castiel left their world.Aziraphale is having a bad day.. A very bad day. One thing leads to another and he is thrust into the violent and slightly chaotic world of the Winchesters.MeanwhileIt's been two years for Dean Winchester and a lot has changed including his relationship with Castiel. Will the apperance of their old friends help bring them back together or will the drama that comes with them tear them apart for good.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: SuperOmens [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2015689
Comments: 128
Kudos: 108





	1. The Letter

**Author's Note:**

> Hii all! :D
> 
> I apologise for the wait. As you all know the world is still upside down and crazy at the moment and i have had more than my share of stress the last few weeks.
> 
> I hope everyone is keeping safe and well.
> 
> So some of you really wanted this and to be honest i REALLY wanted to write it so here it is!!  
> This the second part of this series so if you have not read SuperOmens part one you may wanna go back and do that or this will probably make zero sense.
> 
> Thankyou for being so patient with me.
> 
> I really really hope you enjoy :)
> 
> P.s Just watched the last ever episode of Supernatural and i am broken 😭

It was a slow lazy afternoon in Soho and Aziraphale was mortified. 

That morning he had practically been forced into selling two books. Two! He grumbled to himself as he locked the door to the bookshop from the inside. Closing the blinds for good measure.

"It's called a shop for a reason angel" Crowley said from where he lay on the old threadbare sofa at the back of the shop.

Aziraphale chose to ignore the comment, flipping the closed sign with a click of his fingers. Crowley sat up a little leaning on his elbows as he watched his angel stomp around the shop. It was very rarely Aziraphale was ever in a bad mood and the demon knew it would not last long.

Maybe he could take him for lunch? Or they could order in from that little sushi bar the angel loved so much and eat it on Aziraphale's bed. 

The demon's face became dreamy as he got lost in the thoughts of what they could get up to that afternoon. Aziraphale looked over, frowning at the dewy look on the demon's face.

He was about to walk over and ask what he was thinking of, when the sound of a letter being pushed through his door caused him to pause.

Instead of heading to Crowley, Aziraphale let out a deep sigh and walked over to the door, scooping to pick up the letter. He turned it in his hands and Crowley looked up in time to see the colour drain from the angels face.

"What's the matter angel?" He asked, pulling his body into a sitting position so he could see Aziraphale more clearly.

Aziraphale did not answer, turning his back on the demon as he opened the letter, pulling the piece of paper out of the envelope. Even with Aziraphale's back turned, Crowley did not miss the gold border on the pristine white paper. His stomach instantly dropped when he suddenly knew with certainty who the letter was from.

He stood from the sofa. Slowly making his way over to his angel, afraid to move too fast and spook the principality who looked about ready to bolt.

When he finally made it over to Aziraphale and placed his hand on his shoulder the angel practically jumped, shoving the letter roughly into the envelope before the demon could see.

"Angel?" Crowley questioned quietly. 

Aziraphale took a deep breath, plastering what he hoped was a realistic smile on his face before he turned to face the demon, holding the crumpled paper behind him.

"Shall we go for lunch dear?" The angel asked, proud that his voice sounded a lot steadier than how he actually felt.

"What was the letter about?" Asked Crowley, tilting his head to try and catch a glimpse of the envelope that Aziraphale was hiding behind his back.

"Nothing important" Aziraphale replied, brushing past Crowley and opening a draw to shove the letter inside.

Crowley watched the angel as he then went to collect his jacket from the coat rack. The demon bit onto the inside of his cheek trying not to react to that fact that his lover had quite obviously lied to him. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked softly when Aziraphale was finally looking at him.

Aziraphale's expression seemed to falter for a brief moment as he buttoned up his jacket but just as Crowley stepped towards him the fake smile was back on his lips.

"What I want right now my love is to go to lunch with you" replied Aziraphale.

He took the few steps that separated them over to the demon and pecked him on the cheek. Crowley's lips quirked up in the corners at the contact but when the angel pulled away and walked towards the door the smile faded fast.

Aziraphale was hiding something. Possibly something huge. Crowley glanced over at the draw that the letter had been pushed into, feeling his fingers itch with the want to investigate. 

Aziraphale cleared his throat from the shop door catching Crowley's attention. Crowley offered him a brief smile as he walked over to the door, grabbing his own jacket from the coat rack. Aziraphale stepped out of the shop first and Crowley could not help but glance once more at the draw before he closed the door behind them.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Crowley loved taking Aziraphale to lunch or to dinner or even cream teas. He never ate much himself but found great joy in watching his fair haired angel indulge in the pleasure of food. He could sit for hours and watch Aziraphale try different things, catching the noises and faces he made to memory where he would never forget them.

This time around though there were no small noises of pleasure or faces of delight. The angel had barely touched his lunch, pushing his chicken around his plate with his fork in a depressed kind of movement.

Crowley had watched for a while, trying to hold back his concern, telling himself that Aziraphale would tell him what was wrong when he was ready but as the meal stretched on and the waitress took their plates and brought their bill the angel had still not said a damn thing and it was starting to drive the demon crazy.

He managed to hold his tongue until they were safely back in the Bentley. Once Aziraphale had climbed in and closed the door securely Crowley turned in his seat to look at him.

"Angel what's the matter?" He asked, looking over his shades at Aziraphale.

Aziraphale lifts his head enough to make eye contact with him but it only lasted for a moment before he was looking back at his lap again. 

"I am quite alright dear" he mumbled out, his fingers fiddling with his waistcoat.

Crowley frowned, twisting more in his seat and making no move to start the car. He stared at the angel without speaking until Aziraphale looked at him again.

"Want to try that again?" He asked, raising a brow to try and make the growing tension in the Bentley lighter.

Aziraphale made no move to answer and when he looked away for a second time Crowley felt his patience fray.

"I don't think you're alright at all" he said watching as the angel's eyes widened at his words. "I think that letter you got was from upstairs and now your hiding something from me"

"Crowley.. it's not.. I don't.." stuttered the angel, becoming more restless in his seat.

"You can tell me angel" he said softly, reaching out to lay a hand on Aziraphale's thigh. "Please"

Aziraphale opened his mouth and for a moment Crowley felt relief, thinking he had finally gotten through to him. Then, the angel shut his mouth turning his head to look out the passenger side window.

"I would like to go home," he mumbled.

"Angel.."

"Please Crowley. I would like for you to take me home"

Crowley pulled his hand away from the angel, his mouth forming a thin line as he pushed his shades up and started the engine. Nothing more was said as they drove back to Soho.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Crowley pulled the Bentley up outside the shop, turning off the engine and letting out a forceful sigh. He snuck a glance at Aziraphale from the corner of his eye. The angel had yet to say anything since they had started driving.

"It's not too early to have a drink" Crowley said, forming a smile on his lips that he hoped looked believable.

The angel let out a sigh himself, glancing at Crowley but quickly pulling his eyes away. 

"I think I would just like to rest," murmured Aziraphale.

"Yeah! Rest. That sounds nice. We could spoon" the demon grinned, loving the idea of snuggling with his angel in bed. 

"No" 

Crowley blinked, feeling a stab in his chest at the words. Aziraphale looked over at him then, his expression softening when he saw the disappointment in the demon's face.

"I would just like to be alone. Rest. I will um.. see you for dinner?"

"Ngk.. er.. yeah sure dinner" Crowley tried to sound excited for it but the disappointment was still making itself known.

Aziraphale nodded, opening the door and climbing out. Crowley's eye tracked him as he made his way around the Bentley until he was standing on the sidewalk. Crowley pulled down his window, sticking his head out.

"Angel" he called, causing Aziraphale to stop at the bookshop door and look over at him. "I.. I love you"

A real smile graced the angel's face then as his cheeks grew a few shades of pink.

"I love you too dear. Always"

Crowley smiled, hoping to send some reassurance to his lover across the cement that separated them. He wound his window back up, started the engine and took off, using all the inner strength he had not to look back.

Aziraphale watched until the Bentley was around the corner before he opened the door and stepped inside. Once over the threshold he clicked the door closed and pressed his back against the ancient wood, closing his eyes and letting out a huff of breath.

He stood there for a minute before making sure the door was locked and heading over to the table that housed the drawer he had shoved the letter into.

With shaky hands he reached out and opened the draw, pulling out the slightly wrinkled envelope. He pulled the letter out, which was a lot more crumpled after its rough treatment earlier that day. He flattened it best he could before holding it up so that the dim light of the shop reflected off the gold border.

_ Principality Aziraphale  _

He read-

_ You are hereby being summoned to the high court of heaven. After much consideration we believe that your banishment from heaven needs to be re-evaluated. _

_ You will come in three days time.  _

_ The archangel Gabriel will be visiting you soon to confirm appearance. _

_ Your sincerely- _

He let out a groan, lowering the letter and falling backwards into a miraculously placed chair. He lowered his head to his hands, still holding the paper in his ever tightening fist.

What could they want? Surely they had already made him enough of an outcast without needing to do in front of an audience.. 

He thought of Crowley and how disappointed and worried the demon had seemed. He knew he should have confided in his lover. He would have given the angel confort, held him tight and told him everything would be okay. Or.. he would have been angry, furious that heaven would even dare to contact Aziraphale after everything they had put him through.

And that was the reason he had not confided in him. He was worried that the demon would not want to hear it or even consider the possibility that maybe.. just maybe heaven was willing to give him a second chance. That was also the problem, if heaven were to give him another chance how would that affect Crowley? Who was never given a chance in the first place, instead cast out and made to fall and become the demon he was today.

He ran his hands over his face, letting the letter fall to the old floorboards as he let out another groan. 

Gabriel would be visiting, probably tomorrow and again the icy fear the archangel brought to him was back on full swing. 

He raised his head, catching a glimpse of a shining light in the corner of his eyes. He followed the light until his blue eyes landed on the display case on top of one of his bookshelves. The angel blade glinted in the light as if winking at him.

Castiel, the angel thought, smiling when the scruffy angel came to mind. He would not be afraid, he would stand tall and brave against the force of heaven like he had many times before. 

He stood from his seat, clicking his fingers, a step ladder appearing out of nowhere as he made his way over to the bookcase. He did not hesitate as he made his way up the ladder, reaching up to open the case and watching with fascination as the light flared on the blade ever more.

As he reached for the blade, his fingertips mere inches from the chrome surface, his eyes were suddenly drawn to the book that sat beside the it. He stopped his movements, swallowing thickly as he looked down at the cover which had developed a thin layer of dust in the two weeks it had been sitting there for. 

With little hesitation he reached out, closing his hand around the book and pulling it out the case. Without taking his eyes off the cover he made his way back down the ladder. Once on flat ground again he blew at the cover, watching the dust take to the air and dance in hurried flurries around his still form.

"What would Sam and Dean do" he spoke out loud to the thousands of old books.

He giggled to himself at how ridiculous he must look. Standing alone in the dim light and speaking to himself. Oh well, he was already considered crazy from his peers so what did it matter if he was starting to see himself that way too.

He slipped his finger under the cover, taking a deep breath as he flipped it open. He squeezed his eyes shut, not really knowing what he had been expecting but when nothing happened he opened his eyes again, letting out a nervous laugh. He was obviously getting more silly by the century. 

He let himself relax, flipping the first page over. He only managed to read one line before an awful ringing began to sound in his ears. Aziraphale let out a stifled scream as the book fell from his grip and he tried to cover his ears. It did little to help though as the noise not only swam around him but it had found its way into his head as well. 

His blue eyes opened from where they had been squeezed shut, looking down at the book that had landed pages up. The pages began to turn fast on their own and the angel's eyes widened further as a blinding light erupted from them. He let out a squeak as the floor beneath him seemed to open up, then he was falling.

In a panic he summoned his wings, beating then frantically into the whiteness as he fell. It was no use though and the angel had a brief moment of fear before the light grew to a defying level. There was a flash that the angel saw behind closed lids then he was hitting the wooden floor with such force it caused several of his white feathers to detach and fly into the air. 

Aziraphale groaned, pushing himself onto his back so that his wings fanned out on either side of him and he was looking up at a tall concrete ceiling. He turned his fuzzy head to the side, fighting the steady darkness that was taking over his vision. He frowned slightly when he saw what looked like a giant telescope.

"What the! Oh my god!"

The voice sounded far away as the angel began to fall into unconsciousness. Then he saw a face surrounded by long brown hair and a surprised expression in wide hazel eyes. Big hands grabbed at his shoulders, shaking him gently as his eyes slipped closed. The last thing he heard before he fell under was-

"Aziraphale?! What are you doing here?! Hey.. hey Aziraphale! Jack! Get Dean!"

Then everything went black.


	2. The argument

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all :)
> 
> So I'm sure you will all notice in time but this story is not going to be canocally correct.  
> I have tried to stick with canon best i can but i have changed a few things (please forgive me)
> 
> Anyway, time to see where the Winchesters and Cas are at. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy :)

Around the same time Aziraphale was receiving a very unwanted letter Dean Winchester was waking from a fitful night's sleep.

He let out a sleepy groan as he rolled onto his side, reaching his arm out into the darkness to land on the empty space beside him. With his eyes still closed he let his fingertips trace the dip in the other pillow where a raven haired head should be but was not. 

He finally allowed his eyes to open, his eyelids heavy from sleep as he tried to get his eyes to focus on the empty side of the bed. He stared at the place for another few minutes, worrying his lip between his teeth before finally rolling over and switching on his bedside lamp.

He pushed the covers off of his body, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the mattress, placing his bare feet on the cold floor. The room was always so much colder in the morning when Cas wasn't there. Dean felt his shoulders slump knowing it was something he may have to get used too.. At least for now..

Pushing that deeply depressing thought to the side he forced himself out of the bed and across the room to collect some clean clothes, trying to not let his eyes linger on one of Castiel's discarded shirts that had been thrown over the back of a chair. His mind drifting back to what had happened the day before.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

The fight has been stupid, or so Dean had thought at the time.

He and Castiel had been on a hunt. A nest of vamps had set up shop in an old factory on the outskirts of town. It seemed like an easy case so Dean was happy for it to be just him and his angel, kind of like a date.

However it did not go as simply as the hunter had thought. They had waited until noon when the sun was highest and the vampires were most likely to be sleeping. After securely parking the Impala around the corner the pair had kicked in the door and quickly found themselves in close combat with four angry vamps.

Dean had taken a hit to the nose before he managed to take the first one's head and a nick to the shoulder with a blade before the second one went down. Nothing he couldn't handle. 

Castiel had been across the other side of the large factory room that they were in when Dean had heard a muffled sob from further inside the building. Instincts kicking in he had quickly made his way towards the sound, machete up and ready to strike.

Hidden in a closet Dean found three teenage girls gagged and bound, they were the three missing that had first brought his attention to the case and he let out a breath of relief to find all three of them alive.

He had cut the bindings and helped them to their feet before guiding them towards the exit informing them that his partner would be there and waiting, not wanting the girls to become even more afraid when they were greeted with his stoic faced angel.

Dean was almost at the point of patting himself on the back. Smooth hunt. Girls saved. He was even considering stopping off at a bar on the way home. Not one of those hole in a wall joints, no, a nice place so he could treat Cas. 

The thoughts were suddenly shrouded in pain however when the hunter received a harsh blow to the back of his head. He stumbled forward yelling out in surprise. He swung himself around almost falling completely as his vision began to blur and tilt. He felt the unmistakable trickle of blood as it ran down the back of his neck and pooled into his shirt collar.

The surprise vampire had been hiding in the room when Dean had entered and had seen the opportunity to strike when his back was turned. It lunged at him as he stumbled, knocking the machete from his grip and latching its teeth into his neck.

Dean struggled ruthlessly against the vampire's grip but the blow to his head and growing blood loss had left him sluggish. He heard the unmistakable sound of Castiel's voice calling his name before the vampire's teeth released him. He stumbled back, looking up in time to see Castiel smite the monster, the angel not waiting for the body to hit the ground before he was kneeling in front of Dean.

"Dean!" 

"Mm'fine Cas.." Dean slurred out, trying to force his mouth into a smile which didn't quite sit straight.

The angel ignored him, pushing his hand forward so his fingers rested on Deans forehead, healing his wounds in seconds. Dean blinked a few times taking in a deep breath, his hand clutching at Castiel's sleeves.

"Dean. What were you thinking!?" Cas growled out, fixing the hunter with his intense blue stare.

"Wow hey! Cas I'm okay!" Dean said quickly as Castiel's hands started roaming over his face and chest as if in search for more hidden injuries.

"Okay? Yes you are alright. Because I was here to save you" Castiel snapped back, ignoring Dean's half hearted attempts to push him off.

Unable to stop it, the hunter felt a flash of defensiveness spark in his chest at Castiel's words.

"I didn't need saving, I was handling it" he shot back, ducking out of the angel's reach and climbing to his feet.

"It didn't look that way when I got here!" Castiel argued back, now on his own two feet and taking a step towards the disgruntled hunter. "It had you! It was feeding on you! If.. if I was not here you could have died!"

In that moment Dean saw the overwhelming worry in Castiel's eyes, the slight shake to his shoulders and the almost unnoticeable tremor in his voice. Most people would have missed it. Not Dean.

"Cas it's okay" he said, his voice soft now, he reached out taking hold of the angel's wrist, wanting to reassure him that he was speaking the truth. That he was still there, breathing.

When Cas didn't say anything his grip tightened on the angel's wrist as he pulled him into a tight embrace, running his hands up and down Castiel's back in a soothing action. Cas instantly melted into the hug, as he usually did, resting his chin on Dean's shoulder.

"You need to be more careful," Castiel said, his voice muffled by Dean's shirt.

"I'm fine Cas" Dean replied, breathing in the angels now familiar and comforting smell.

Cas just grunted in response, burying his face deeper into the hunter's shoulder.

"It's okay," Dean soothed further. "We saved the girls, killed the vampire's. Job well done. It doesn't matter if I got hurt"

Cas stiffened in Dean grip then before pulling out of the hunters arms and fixing him with a wide eyed stare.

"Doesn't matter?" Cas said slowly, his brow Thouroghing.

"Yeah I mean-"

"You truly believe that it does not matter that you have been hurt? That you could have died!" The angel snapped.

"Cas just chill" Dean said in exasperation, slapping his hands down at his sides.

"It. Matters. Dean"

Dean felt that he had been physically pushed back by Castiel's words and the conviction in his voice and he suddenly realized that his own choice of words were probably not the best. The rational part of him knew that Cas was right, the angel was worried and Dean had been reckless but another part of him, a part that usually won any arguement, wanted to tell Cas that he was being stupid, that he was fine and he would have handled it.. even if that was anything but the truth. 

"Just drop it Cas. I'm fine. Your fine. I don't wanna talk about it any more. We solved the case. What else is there to worry about?!"

Castiel's mouth became a round 'O' of shock, his eyes sparking with frustration and something else that Dean chose not to think about as he pushed past Cas and made his way to the exit where the girls were still waiting.

He made it out first and together they got the girls into the Impala and to the safehold of town where they would be looked after by the police department and returned to their families. 

Castiel had waited in the car whilst Dean had taken the girls inside. As Dean stepped out the building he let out a long breath. His eyes found his baby parked alongside the curb, then drifted to his angel who sat stiff and unmoving in the passenger seat. He watched Cas for a moment, starting to feel kind of guilty for how things had gone between them. 

Suddenly the memory of Castiel lying in the dirt motionless hit him. It struck him so hard he had to physically hold onto the rail on the small staircase that he stood at the top of to stop his legs from giving out. He remembered how he had felt when he had thought Cas had been gone for good. Hopeless. Lost. Scared. Empty. He suddenly thought that if Cas had felt anything close to what he had felt then, then he really had been a douche to dismiss the angel's feelings. He would never want Castiel to go through what he did

He took a deep breath, willing his legs back to normal before heading towards the Impala.

He climbed back into the car, looking over at Cas and waiting for the angel to look at him before he spoke.

"Fancy lunch?" Dean asked when the blue eyes finally landed on him.

Castiel looked at him, his face almost expressionless and it caused the hunter to swallow thickly. 

When they had left Crowley and Aziraphale's world behind, they had made the most of each other and when Castiel had died and came back they had made sure not to miss out on a single moment. This. This was their first real fight as a couple and it was already weighing heavily on Dean's shoulders.

"I think we should just go home" was all Cas said before he looked away from the hunter again. 

"Cas.."

"Just drive, Dean"

So he had. There were no afternoon lunches or stolen kisses in a dim booth of a fancy bar. Instead the hunter drove home and when they had arrived Cas had gone straight to their shared bedroom to collect a small bag of belongings, which didn't add up to much.

When Dean had asked where he was going, Cas had said a case and Dean had suspected that it was a lie but could not find the words to argue. Then Cas had gone and Dean had been left alone to dwell.

  
  


°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

He pushed the memory from his mind, ignoring the bitter taste it left in his mouth.

Once his clothes were collected from their respected draws he made his way out of his room and down towards the showers. When he was washed and dressed he found himself in front of the large mirror that bordered the sinks. He stared at his reflection for a few long minutes, hating the tired stubbly face that looked back at him. He brushed his teeth with more force than was probably required before leaving the bathrooms to make his way towards the kitchen.

The smell of eggs and coffee greeted him a few doors away which only caused Dean to speed up his slow stroll. 

When Dean rounded the doorway he was surprised to see that it was not his brother that stood by the stove but Jack. Dean watched as the young nephilim poked his tongue out between his lips, seemingly in full concentration as he flipped over the fried eggs.

"Ha! Haha!" Jack cried out, throwing his arms into the air in triumph. "Sam! I did it! The yolk didn't break!"

At the kitchen table Sam looked up from his day old newspaper and over to Jack, who looked just about ready to break into dance over his achievement. Sam let out a chuckle pumping his own fist into the air to show his support. It was at this moment he noticed Dean lurking in the doorway.

"Hey man" Sam greeted, when his and his brothers eyes locked. "We're having eggs"

Dean smiled, glancing over at Jack just in time to see him dump another two eggs into the sizzling pan. He made his way over to the table, slotting himself opposite Sam.

"Egg a la Jack eh?" Dean said, reaching out to snag Sam's coffee mug.

Sam quickly snatched the mug back, cradling it to his chest like a newborn.

"That's mine! There is coffee in the machine" he grumbled, pointing a free finger over Dean's shoulder.

Dean mumbled something under his breath and climbed back to his feet. His fake annoyance soon passed when he heard Jack give out an excited gasp as the eggs popped happily over the heat. 

He was silently thanking whoever was listening that neither of the other men had noticed Castiel's absence. That was until he closed his hand around the handle of the coffee machine and Sam spoke up.

"Where's Cas?" Sam asked, face hidden behind the newspaper.

Dean had frozen with his hand half way back to his empty waiting mug. Without even looking he could sense that even Jack was now boring his eyes into the older hunters skull.

"He er.. He went out" was Dean's feeble reply as he filled his mug and made his way, if not slightly awkwardly, back to the table.

He spared a look over at Jack who quickly looked back at the eggs, pretending he was not listening.

"Out?" Sam asked as Dean stared daggers into the newspaper that was blocking his brother's face.

"Yeah. Out" Dean bit back, taking a big gulp of his too hot coffee.

It was too damn early and his caffeine level was too damn low for his brothers shit.

The newspaper came down with a snap then and Sam's bitchface was in full swing, eyeing Dean with scrutiny from his seat. Dean tried to ignore it best he could until he just couldn't anymore.

"What?!"

"Dean.." the tone of Sam's voice, Dean supposed, was meant to be comforting but all it did was grate even more on Dean's fraying nerves.

"It's fine Sam just drop it. Who are you now doctor Phil?" 

Sam's face dropped further and his eyebrows drew together in annoyance.

"If something happened you can tell me" Sam tried again, his jaw clenching as he tried to keep his own irritation in check.

"Nothing happened Sam just drop it jeez" Dean groaned out with an eye roll that truly broke Sam's patience.

"Dean. You two have been inseparable for like.. for like two years and now all of a sudden he is just what? Out?" 

Dean flinched at the tone of Sam's voice and the sound of the stove turning off just made the silence that followed even louder. In the corner of his eye he could see that Jack had fully turned to watch the brothers, eggs forgotten.

Sam's expression quickly softened when he realized how stiff Dean's whole form had become. He ran his palms over the newspaper straightening out the wrinkles before taking a deep breath and looking at his brother again.

"Listen if you guys had a fight-"

"Just drop it Sam. Please.."

Sam's mouth formed into a thin line as he stared back at his brother. Dean's green eyes blinking back what could have been threatening tears. The silence stretched for a moment before Jack stepped up to the table placing down two very full plates of eggs.

Both brothers looked up at him in unison as Jack stared back expectantly. Sam cleared his throat, quickly picking up his fork and digging into the offered food. Dean followed suit if not with more trepidation. To the hunters surprise they eggs were edible, good even. 

"Wow Jack, these are great, thanks" Sam said looking up at Jack in time to see the delighted smile that split his features.

"Yeah man" Dean agreed as he shoved another forkful of egg in his mouth. "You should make breakfast more often"

Sam and Jack laughed happily as Dean scoffed down his food. The older hunter enjoyed the moment of distraction however short.

Once both plates were clean and put in the sink to soak Sam told Dean he had some research to do so he would be in the library. Jack followed after the tall hunter leaving Dean alone in the kitchen. He let out a deep sigh and got to his feet, wandering slowly over to the coffee machine to refill his mug. He brought the mug to his lips just as his phone began to ring.

He let out a soft curse, putting the mug down and fishing his other hand in his pocket to find the source of the irritating noise.

His pulse quickened when he saw Cas' name flashing back at him from the screen. He took a deep breath before answering and bringing the phone to his ear.

"Cas?" 

"Hello Dean"

"H-hey.." he cleared his throat and started again. "Hey man! Where are you? I tried to call last night but-"

"I am fine Dean. I'm two towns over. I have picked up a lead on a werewolf hunt"

"Werewolf? Great! Send me the address and I will-"

"That is alright Dean. I can handle it"

"Well I.. I know you can handle it! That's not what I'm saying. Maybe I can come and we can talk? Maybe get that lunch that-"

"No Dean. I will do this myself. I was just informing you of my position"

Dean bit his lip. Hating that Cas was using his FBI voice on the hunter. He was really mad huh? The light's flickered over head but he paid it little mind as he tried to find the right words to say.

"Cas I.. I should apo-"

"Dean!" 

Dean quickly turned on his heels at the sound of Jack's urgent yet slightly excited shout. The nephilim slid into the doorway, he had been running and the smooth floors caused him to slide a few inches and he grabbed the door frame to stop himself.

Dean still stood in the same place, the phone still against his ear and Castiel's voice asking impatiently what was happening.

"The library! Someone appeared! Big flash! Wings! Feathers everywhere" Jack said quickly, his words tripping over themselves.

But Dean had heard enough to know not to hang about. He straightened, nodding at the young man and began to follow him out the kitchen.

"Cas. I'm gonna have to call you back"

  
  
  
  



	3. The intruders

Crowley had turned his music up to full volume as he drove home from the bookshop. He was hoping that the familiar sound of Queen would not only drown out any other noise but maybe his turbulent thoughts too.

He didn't understand why Aziraphale had not told him about what was in the letter and it was bothering him to no end. He understood the fear that hearing from heaven could cause, Crowley had never actually been contacted himself but if he had he was sure he would be terrified. What could they want? Crowley shook his head. He wasn't like Aziraphale, no, his angel was pure and kind and loving. Maybe they wanted him back? This thought only made the demon's depression thicken.

He pulled the Bentley up outside his block of flats but made no move to get out of the car. He stared at his hands on the wheel for a good five minutes, transfixed on the way his knuckles became white under the pressure. He damn near jumped out of his skin when a knock on the passenger window came. Managing to compose himself ever so slightly he looked over to see his neighbour looking through the glass at him. With a deep breath he opened the window, nudging his shades up his nose to cover any yellow that might be showing.

"Hello Anthony" his neighbour chirped when the window was far enough down.

"Hi Enid" he forced out, hoping the fake smile looked more friendly than threatening.

"You are back early" she smiled. "I thought you were spending the day with Zira?"

Crowley inwardly cringed. Enid lived on the ground floor of his building, she was in her seventies and owned a lot of cats. Crowley had never really been one to know his neighbours but Aziraphale and Enid had bumped into each other one morning and gotten along famously. Now Crowley could barely come and go without her saying hello. She was lovely and all but right now Crowley was not in the mood for polite conversation.

"Ngk, no. I mean yeah we were. I er..I just came back to water the plants" he said through gritted teeth.

"Oh yes, you're lovely plants" she smiled back at him.

He nodded his head, pulling the keys from the ignition and climbing out of the car. Enid straightened so she could see him over the roof of the Bentley. He smiled at her one more time before turning to head inside, hoping he could get in the building before she started another load of small talk.

"Oh Anthony?" she called, still standing where she was.

he stopped with his hand on the door, trying not to let her see the shiver of impatience that ran down his spine, he turned his head to look at her, a smile on his face that looked more like a grimace.

"Some men came by earlier. Strange looking lot" she began, frowning when she remembered their faces. "I think they were looking for you. I heard them mention your surname"

This did catch Crowley's attention. He never got visitors and judging by the look on his neighbor's face they were not just some travelling salesman.

"Err.. right.. Thanks Enid"

He stepped into the building, his neighbor may have said more but he was not listening. His heart had picked up speed and he inwardly cursed at the fact that the news of guests was always bad news in the demon's world. you don't get lobbed out of heaven then banished from hell and still expect friendly visits.

With slow cautious steps he made his way up to the top floor where his flat resides. With his senses on high alert he was acutely aware of the life behind each door as he passed, dogs barking and the sound of children laughing. This did nothing to steady the demon's growing anxiety. When he finally made it to the top floor he did not need to see that his front door was open to sense that someone was in his flat. He could taste it on his tongue and the flavour was hell.

He steadied his breath as he approached the slightly ajar door, making himself silent. Silence was something he was good at although Azirphale might disagree with that statement. He made his way inside, squeezing through the gap in the door so as not to alert the trespassers he was certain were hiding inside.

He could smell them now but this did not make him feel any better because he knew these smells, he was kinda hoping he would never have to smell them again. He had hoped that his journey to hell with Dean to find Castiel would be his last ever experience. Wishful thinking.

He crept down the corridor leading to his office, his brain screaming to him to just run, get away before they see you. But like he usually did he ignored it. As he was passing the living room he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, he quickly ducked behind the door frame as a tall figure came into view.

He knew them for who they were instantly, they stood as tall as Crowley with stylish black hair and fashionable piercings through his nose. In the low light that filtered through the heavy blinds he caught a glimpse of burnt orange eyes. Crowley grit his teeth as the demon walked to his mantle piece picking up a photo of him and Aziraphale and wrinkling his nose at the happy faces in the frame. Yes, Crowly knew this demon alright, they had worked together many a time when he had actually been classed as a member of hell. His name was-

"Edwin?!"

A gruff irritated voice called from the other room causing both Crowley and Edwin to jump in unison. Edwin put the photo back down and turned towards the voice as Crowley watched with terror filled eyes and Hastur stepped into the room looking more miserable than ever.

"Yes, Duke Hastur?" Edwin asked, a hint of mocking in his voice that the Duke did not miss.

"Did you find anything of use?" the Duke grated out, having clear trouble not ripping the other demons head off his shoulder.

"Nah" chirped Edwin, running a hand through his dark hair. "Just plants and some sickly photos"

"Well, keep looking. Lord Beezlebub is certain Crowley has the angel's blade" growled Hastur, stomping over to a bookshelf and making a show of pushing all the contents off the shelf.

Crowley cinged when one of his pot plants hit the floor, its pot shattering on impact sending dirt across the floorboards. Hastur just grinned down at the mess he had made as Edwin looked on. 

"Maybe it isn't here?" the dark haired demon asked, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets.

Hastur turned on him then, black eyes blazing with obvious anger. 

"What do you mean not here?!" he growled, seeming to grow taller and tower over the other demon in a threatening manner.

Edwn however did not seem to find the Duke at all scary as he stepped around him to pick up the fallen pot plant. Crowley watched as the other demon waved his hand in front of the remnants of the plant, watching as the shards of ceramic collected themselves on the floor and floated up to rebuild themselves within his palm. With a small pop the plant and pot were whole again. Hastur snarled as he watched Edwin place the plant back on the shelf and slowly turn to face the duke again. 

"I believe that there is one other place our traitorous demon may have hidden the weapon" he smiled, seeming to enjoy winding the Duke up. 

Crowley watched as Edwin stepped around the Duke, heading back towards the shelf with the photo of him and his angel. He picked it up and passed it to Hastur who seemed to look even more uncomfortable at the sight of the photo.

"The angel" he snarled.

Crowley could not help the panicked gasp that escaped his throat then. His panic only built when Edwin seemed to have heard the small noise looking up in time for his and Crowley's eyes to make contact.

Crowley did not stay long enough to know what happened next. He clicked his fingers, breaking into a thousand tiny pieces and sending himself flying across London. When he pulled himself together again he was inside Aziraphale's bookshop, stumbling as he landed awkwardly over the spiral staircase banister.

He quickly composes himself, almost falling down the three steps as he hurried down them. He was no longer feeling anxiety instead there was the white hot burn of panic as his wide eyes scanned the shelves for his angel.

"ANGEL!!" he shouted out, hoping to hear Aziraphales cheery voice coming from the back.

That voice never came though, only silence and it only caused Crowley's heart rate to pick up ever more.

"AZIRAPHALE!" he tried again to no avail.

It was at that moment the demon noticed the chair in the center of the shop seeming to have been pushed over onto its side. He stepped closer to it, leaning down to pick it up and that is when he spotted the crumpled letter. He picked it up without hesitation, flattening it best he could before reading the contents. His stomach felt like it shriveled up and fell out of his arse as he read, his eyes as wide as the angels had been when he had read it himself. He lowered the letter, falling back into the chair that he had straightened.

"Oh my Satan.." he breathed out. "No wonder you were in a strange mood angel"

He looked up trying to push down the turmoil building in his chest. His eyes raking over the bookcase in front of him and that is when he noticed it. The display case on top of the bookshelf was open and the chrome of the angel blade caught the light as if beckoning him closer. He knew suddenly with certainty that this is what Hastur and Edwin had been after and he quickly jumped to his feet and ran over to it. Climbing up the step ladder he reached out, closing his hand around the hilt of the blade just as the back door exploded in.

Crolwey jumped, pulling the blade from the case and almost falling off the ladder.

"Crooowwleeyyy" came Edwins voice from the back room followed by Hasturs gruff "We know your in here"

"Shishitshitshit" Crowley whispered as he hid himself behind the bookcase. He could hear their footsteps on the ancient wood floor as they got closer, his mind racing to think of his next move. As Hastur came into view Crowley made a move to hide further when the toe of his boot knocked against a book on the floor. He looked down, instantly recognising it for what it was. The Supernatural book that had been delivered not two weeks ago. Without thinking he bent down and picked it up, opening the cover just as the two demons stepped around the case and spotted him. 

He let out a squeak preparing to drop the book when light erupted from the pages, engulfing the red haired demon and pushing his attackers back. when the light finally died Crowley was nowhere in sight. Edwin and Hastur looked at each other in surprise then back at the book which now sat closed at their feet. 

"What do we do now?" asked Edwin as he rubbed at his sore eyes.

Hastur grunted, pulling a dirty cloth from his pocket and bending to pick the book up. He held it at arm's length as he studied the cover.

"We take this to Lord Beezlebub." Was his answer.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Castiel had been sitting behind the wheel of his car when he had called Dean. He had told the hunter that he was just letting him know where he was but the truth was he had wanted to hear Dean's voice. In truth the angel was feeling somewhat silly for his actions over the last thirty six hours. He even deemed them rather childish but he felt that he'd had to leave if nothing else but to force the hunter to think about his actions. Dean was reckless, always had been but latey it seemed to be for no good reason at all and the constant fear of losing his lover was beginning to drag on Castiel.

Dean had hung up on him after telling him he would call him back and had left the angel sitting in his car nothing short of worried. He had heard Jack's excited voice in the background before the hunter had ended the call and it was taking everything the angel had not to start the car and speed back to the bunker right that very moment. He couldn't though, he knew, he was in the middle of a case and a good hunter does not leave people to get killed over personal reasons.

With a deep sigh he started the engine with the intent to head back into town. He had several leads and more than a few questions to ask a very suspicious librarian. Pulling away from the sidewalk he reached over to switch on the cassette player, smiling to himself at the music from Deans mixtape hit his ears. He turned the volume up as stairway to heaven began when there was a blinding flash in front of him. Castiel was forced to close his eyes to the burning light, hitting the breaks as he was blinded. He felt the car jerk under his hands as it hit something, causing the windshield to crack.

Then as suddenly as the light had appeared it was gone leaving the angel feeling disheveled and more than a little flustered behind the wheel. He quickly opened the drivers side door jumping out to run around to the front of the car to see what he had hit. Whatever he had been expecting to find it was definitely not the red haired demon that lay in the road in front of his car. The demon's limbs were thrown wide in every direction and there was a small trickle of blood running down his temple.

"Crowley?!" Castiel called out as he knelt beside the demon.

Crolweys shades had been knocked off when he had been hit by the car and his yellow eyes opened a crack to look up at the shocked angel.

"Cas.." he murmured out, a wonky smile gracing his lips. "fancy seeing you here"

And with that the demon passed out again.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if any of you have read my Good omens fic from a little while ago you will recognise who Edwin is.  
> He was one of my first original characters and i love him dearly 💗


	4. The bunker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! 
> 
> I know it's not Friday but i wanted to surprise you all with a chapter as i know i am always keeping you guys waiting and i wanted to thank all of you
> 
> Enjoy :)

Needless to say when Dean made it to the library he was not expecting to see what it was he was greeted with. One of the large reading tables had been knocked to the side with enough force to hit one of the bookshelves and send the contents falling across the floor. His brother knelt in the center of the room and Dean had to blink a few times to believe what his eyes were seeing.

Feathers? Feathers everywhere. For a split second Dean had the image of Sam and Jack having a pillow fight in the middle of their study session but when he saw a limp arm from around his brother the thought quickly disappeared.

He hurried over to his brother, his eyes becoming even wider when he actually saw the full form of the angel, laying flat on his back, his wings spread out to take up all the floor space on either side of him.

"Aziraphale?!" he gasped out, dropping to his knees beside Sam and placing a hand on the angels shoulder to shake gently. "What happened? How'd he get here?"

"I don't know. Jack and I were just doing some research when the room exploded with light. Next thing I know he's just laying there" Sam explained, running a hand through his long hair to get it out of his face.

Dean looked over his shoulder to find Jack standing close by, one of Aziraphale feathers between his fingers, staring at it as if transfixed. 

"Is he the angel from the book that you two told me about?" he asked, not looking up from the feather.

"Yeah the one and only" Dean replied, trying to hold back a smile as Jack's face only became one of wonder and excitement at the knowledge.

"Jack" Sam said his name, beckoning him closer with his hand. "Do you think you can help him?"

Jack let the feather drop to the ground as he made his way over to stand between the two kneeling brothers. He squatted down himself, seeming to take a closer look at the unconscious being in front of him. Then slowly he reached out his hand under the watchful eye of the Winchesters and touched his fingers to the angels temple. At first nothing happened and Dean was about to open his mouth and say something sarcastic when a golden light seemed to resonate from the nephilims fingers, traveling across the angel's face and up Jack's arm until his eyes glowed from it.

After a few seconds the light died away and Jack blinked a few times before he smiled innocently at the brothers. Sam and Dean looked down at the still un-moving Aziraphale then at each other before Dean turned to Jack, a confused look on his face.

"Nothing happe-"

He was cut off by Aziraphale sitting up suddenly, taking in a gasping breath. 

"Hey! It's okay!" Sam said quickly, his hands coming out to steady the angel before he could fall backwards again.

Dean had to dodge one of the large wings as they both pulled back to the angel's body to sit tucked up at his back. 

"Sam?" Aziraphale said as his eyes adjusted and he could see the younger hunter more clearly, before turning his eyes towards Dean. "Dean! Is it really you?"

Dean  _ was  _ smiling now as he clapped the angel on the shoulder.

"It's us Aziraphale" he grinned, before having his breath knocked out of him when the angel leaped forward and hugged the hunter tightly.

"It is so very good to see you" he practically cried out before turning on Sam and giving him the same treatment. "To see the both of you"

Sam laughed himself, slapping Aziraphale lightly on the back as the angel pulled away. It was at this moment when he noticed Jack, who had stood up and stepped back a little from the three friends. The young nephilim stood somewhat awkwardly as he watched the reunion and looked even more unsure of himself when Aziraphales blue eyes landed on him.

"Hello there young man" Aziraphale said cheerily as he looked up at Jack.

"Hello" Jack said back, raising his hand up in a non moving wave.

Dean grinned as he climbed to his feet followed by his brother. Both men offered a hand each to Aziraphale and he gladly took them and they pulled him to his own feet.

"Aziraphale, this is Jack Kline. Jack this is Aziraphale" Dean introduced.

Aziraphale held out his hand to the young man and after a hesitant beat Jack took it and the angel shook with enthusiasm.

"It is lovely to meet you" the angel beamed.

"The feeling in mutual trust me" Dean cut in when Jack didn't say anything. "The story of us in your world is one of his favourites"

"R-really?" Aziraphale asked, his cheeks becoming slightly pink.

Jack and Dean both nodded with a smile and it was at the moment that the angel noticed Sam staring over his shoulder at his still visible wings. In all honesty Aziraphale had not even noticed they were out himself until that moment. With pink cheeks he mumbled an apology and with a click of his fingers, his wings were gone from view.

"Woah" Sam and Dean said at the same time causing the angel to stifle a giggle at the expressions on their faces. 

"Aziraphale, without sounding rude, I mean it's great to see you and all but what are you doing here?" Sam asked.

"More like how did you get here?" Dean added.

"Well er.. you see.. it's a rather long story.. or maybe more complicated than it is long actually.." the angel rambled, beginning to fiddle with his waistcoat as his nerves took over.

Noticing the angel becoming uncomfortable Dean stepped in to put him out of his misery.

"Why don't we go through to the kitchen and I will make us some coffee and you can tell us there?" Dean said gently.

"Coffee would be much appreciated" agreed Aziraphale, forcing himself to stop fidgeting.

Sam and Dean shared a glance over the top of the angel's head neither brother missing how flustered their friend actually was.

"Jack, why don't you go ahead and get the machine warmed up?" Sam instructed the young man.

Jack nodded, obviously happy to help and quickly made his way to the kitchen ahead of the others. Aziraphale was now looking around himself, his head and vision finally settled enough for him to take in his surroundings. 

"This place is quite wonderful" he breathed out as his blue eyes danced along the shelves at all the ancient books. "This is your home?"

"Yeah," Dean smiled, making a show of looking around himself too. "Yeah, home sweet home. Trust me this place is huge you haven't seen anything yet"

Aziraphale let out a little 'O' of excitement at this knowledge, his eyes still looking around himself in wonder. The brothers watched as the angel stopped turning, seeming to become fixated on one area in particular. 

"Is that it?" he asked, stepping away from the brother and walking over to a bookcase. Sam and Dean followed slowly and it was only when the angel stopped did the brothers know what he was talking about. They watched as Aziraphale reached out his hand slowly and ran a finger down the spine of the Good Omens book that sat amongst the other less magical books. The brothers shared a look before Sam confirmed the angel's suspicions with a nod. 

"I thought so. It was as if I was drawn to it" mumbled the angel, still stroking the spine. "What a curious name, Good Omens. Oh how interesting it would be to give it a read"

Dean was practically holding his breath almost expecting Aziraphale to take the book then and there and open it but instead he turned away from it facing the brothers once again. 

"But coffee really would be lovely" he smiled up at them, totally oblivious to their rigid forms. "You can tell me all about what you have been up to in the two weeks since you left"

Sam blinked then, quickly glancing at Dean then back at the angel.

"Two weeks? Aziraphale.. It's been two years since we have been back" Sam informed.

"Two years gosh!" the angel said back in obvious surprise. 

"I guess time moves differently between our two worlds" Dean mused, although it didn't really make much sense to him seeing as time had not changed that dramatically when they had been over there. 

"Very interesting.." mumbled Sam, even going as far as cupping his chin with his hand in thought.

Dean knew that look all to well. It was a look that was usually followed by hours of research and Dean was not prepared for that. He quickly stepped forward, taking Aziraphale by the shoulder and pulling him towards the kitchen. 

"Yeah yeah very interesting but you know what is better than that? Coffee" he said quickly, throwing his brother a look.

Aziraphale laughed heartily as he let the hunter lead him along and Sam let out an exasperated sigh as he followed suit, keeping the time skip info tucked away in his big brain to focus on later. 

As the three left the library not one of them noticed Dean's phone begin to vibrate on the large reading table as Castiel's name flashed on the screen.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

"This is Dean's other, other Cell-"

Castiel let out a huff of breath and moved the phone away from his ear, not bothering to leave a message. He slid the phone into his pocket, letting his back rest against the hood of the car for another short moment before turning and looking into the open back door. He had managed to move Crowley into the back seat and the demon had yet to wake up. 

Castel felt he was at an impasse, with a job still at hand but with the surprise appearance of Crowley he was hoping that Dean would have been able to help but as per usual the hunter was not answering his phone. He pushed Dean from his thoughts (which was harder said than done) and lent into the back seat to place a hand onto the demon's temple. He had tried healing the demon straight away but whatever magic was inside Crowley seemed to fight back against the angels and Castiel was only able to do minimal repairs.

Once the grace in his eyes died away he let out a gasp of breath, allowing himself to lean against the seat for a moment so he could compose himself, his grace had not been the same since he had come back from the empty and it was at moments like these that Castiel was unable to ignore it.

At that instant Crowley let out a groan causing the angel to start and quickly straighten himself so he was not leaning over the top of him anymore. Castiel watched as Crowley's yellow eyes cracked open making the demon look as though he was waking from a nap and not a blow to the head. Then suddenly the demon was sitting up so fast he struck his head on the door frame and let out a yelp. Castiel had moved back and was kneeling in front of him instantly, stopping him from falling out of the car all together.

"Crowley. It is alright" Castiel tried to sooth as the demon looked around himself, his eyes widening by the second.

"Cas?! Oh My Satan.. It worked. I mean did it work? What am I saying it had to have worked! This is definitely not Soho anymore" the demon rambled.

"Crowley. Take a breath. You are in Kansas. United states. In our universe" Castiel confirmed, not really knowing how to sugar coat such information.

"Kansas?! Ngk.. okay.." Crowley seemed to calm down for a second, taking long over dramatic breaths. It did not last though as his eyes widened once more and he was grabbing at Castiel's shoulders. "Aziraphale! He came through before me. He must have and.. and.. Edwin and Hastur.. Ahh hell Hastur has the book!!"

Castiel listened, not making a move to step out of the panicked demons grip. Aziraphale had come through? That was probably what had caused Dean to end their call earlier and was also the reason the hunter was not picking up his phone. That Castiel could Deal with but the idea of demons from another universe coming through as well made him feel more than a little uneasy.

Castiel stood up from his kneeling position, Crowley's hands falling loosely from his body as he did so. The demon watched as Castiel pulled out his phone, scrolling to Dean number again and pressing the call button. Again it rang through to voicemail. This time he left a message.

"Dean-"

"Oh is that Dean?"

Crowley was on his feet now somewhat wonky but also very excited at the idea of speaking with Dean. Castiel nodded in his direction before turning his back to continue his message.

"Dean. I have Crowley with me. The demon with the red hair. He.. He appeared on the road and I hit him with my car. He is alright but he said that demons may follow him. He said something about a book on their side.. did you know anything about a book-"

"Actually" Crowley piped up and Castiel turned to look at him. "The book we have was delivered after you left"

Castiel blinked at this information. Delivered? By whom? 

"Dean just call me back" he growled into the phone and hung it up. 

"You.. Ngh.. You seem stressed" Crowley said, wiping a sleeve at the gash on his head.

"I am just at an impasse. But it is of no import. I should get you back to the bunker. Sam and Dean will be there and hopefully Aziraphale" Castiel replied as he made his way to the drivers side once more. 

He spotted the demon's shades on the side of the road and squatted to pick them up. He handed them to Crowley who took them with a smile.

"You may want to keep your eyes covered whilst you are here. Yellow eyes will not be taken lightly" He informed as he slid into the driver's seat.

Crowley quickly shut the back door, putting on his shades and hurrying around the car and jumping in the passenger side before looking at the angel expectantly.

"So.. you said something about a bunker?" he grinned as Castiel started the car and pulled away from the sidewalk.

  
  



	5. The apprentice

Many things may have changed for the Winchesters since their adventure with Aziraphale and Crowley but nothing had changed in the latter's hell. 

Beezlebub sat upon their throne in the courtroom, picking at their nails and listening with disinterest as Dagon relayed their achievements for that week. They let out a sigh through their nose as Dagon whittled on, secretly wishing that something, anything, would happen. Boredom was the prince's worst enemy.

Just as they were preparing to call it a day and tell Dagon to go away and get on with whatever it was the Duke occupied themselves with when they were not bothering Beezlebub the chamber door opened with a bang. The door swung back with enough force to knock the demon guarding the door over and Dagon stopped talking abruptly, looking a little annoyed that they had been interrupted and turned towards the door.

Hastur marched in, holding his head up high with a smug look on his face closely followed by Edwin. Beezlebub leant forward in their throne, nails forgotten. Once the Duke and his helper reached the steps leading up to the throne, Hastur shoved passed Dagon and bowed his head to the prince.

"Haztur. You look unusually pleazed" Beezlebub buzzed out as they eyed the Duke. "Did you find the other world angelz bade?"

Beelzebub did not miss the way Edwin seemed to fidget at their words and they pulled their mouth into a tight line as they focused once more on the Duke. Hastur straightened again so that he was able to look the prince in the eyes.

"No my Lord" he grumbled, flinching slightly when Beelzebubs eyebrows pulled together in annoyance, he quickly added, "But we do have something"

He turned to look at Edwin then, impatiently beckoning the demon over. Edwin quickly moved to stand beside Hastur, reaching into the inside of his jacket and pulling something out that was wrapped in dirty cloth. Beezlebub looked at it for a second before turning to Hastur for an explanation.

"We went to the demon Crowley's residence as you requested but after searching the whole place we were unable to find the blade" he began gruffly, keeping his head held high even as the prince's expression became all the more darker. "But Edwin spotted Crowley hiding when we were there. He escaped but we were able to follow him back to the angels bookshop. Unfortunately Crowley was able to get the blade and escape before we were able to capture him"

"Zo what you are telling me iz that you failed?" Beezlebub interrupted, causing the Duke and Edwin to share a scared look.

"N-no my lord.." Edwin stammered stepping forward a little. "We may not have gotten the blade but we have something a lot more interesting"

The prince just stared at Edwin with their cold blue eyes and the demon physically shivered from the look. He shook it off and with a shaky hand raised the cloth wrapped bundle up in front of him towards the prince. With a whispered groan Beezlebub stood from their throne and made their way down the few steps to stand in front of Edwin. They reached out their hand about to touch the bundle when Hastur spoke up.

"Be careful my Lord. It's magic seems to activate with touch" he said, stepping up so he could see what was happening better.

Beezlebub heeded the Duke's warning and slowly pinched some of the cloth between their fingers and pulled to reveal the cover of the book. They frowned down at it, their cold eyes moving along the raised letters of the title.

"What iz thiz?" They asked, eyes not leaving the book.

"When Crowley touched the book Lord he vanished from sight. The scent that was left in his wake was the scent that the other world angel was shrouded in when we captured him" Hastur explained.

Beezlebub felt their heart rate pick up as the Duke's words sunk in. This. This right here was a doorway into the angel's word. They suddenly thought of the would be king that had spent a few days with them. He had been more than a little irritating and incredibly full of himself but he had made those few short days the most interesting the prince had had in years.

The prince looked back up at the Duke and his helper then, both beings smiling back at them when they realised that Beezlebub was pleased. Both eagerly awaiting their next move. The prince turned back to their throne, slowly making their way back to it and sitting down, cupping their chin in their hands as if in thought.

Long minutes passed by and Hastur and Edwin grew more and more restless under the prince's gaze. Then slowly before their eyes Beezlebubs mouth pulled into an uncharacteristic grin.

"Haztur?" They said finally.

"Yes my Lord?"

"How are you finding your apprentice?"

Hastur turned to look at Edwin then and the young demon visibly swallowed under his hateful gaze.

"Could do with learning more respect and discipline but his tracking skills are good, he was able to track the traitor Crowley without an issue" Hastur grated out, seeming to have trouble saying anything vaguely nice about the other demon.

Beezlebub nodded, looking to be pleased with the answer before they looked directly at Edwin who seemed to shrink under their icy blues.

"You have moved up through the ranks quickly thiz last year" They stated and Edwin nodded back eagerly. "How would you like the opportunity to be a member of the court?"

Hastur recoiled backwards at this statement, obviously outraged at the prince's proposition.

"My Lord. I do not mean to speak out of turn but Edwin is just a lowly demon, he may do an adequate job as my apprentice but to consider him as a member of the court I.. I do not think he is up to the task" 

Edwin only shrunk back even more at this statement and it was transparent to the prince that the young demon believed the Dukes words. 

"Edwin" Beelzebub said, ignoring the Duke and bringing the other demons' gaze back to them from where it had become rooted to his feet. "I would like to test your tracking and capturing skills. I would like for you to open the book"

Edwin's eyes opened in shock and fear the more he heard. Meanwhile Hastur looked on the verge of a heart attack.

"You will go into their world" Beezlebub continued, "you will track the demon Crowley and the blade"

"My Lord" Hastur broke in, not caring that he had spoken over his boss and stepping in front of Edwin who still held the book out in his hands. "You can not surely be considering sending him alone. He can not be trusted with something so important"

"He will not go alone" Beelzebub replied coolly, smirk still playing on their cracked lips.

Hastur seemed to brighten then, if only by a little, his shoulder slumping and his head bowing before he spoke again.

"You will not regret your decision to send me along, I will make sure the job is done correctly" Hastur said, as Edwins' already pale complexion became whiter.

"Oh you mizunderstand me Duke Hazter'' Beelzebub said, tilting their head slightly. "It will be I who will be accompanying him"

"B-but Lord Beelzebub'' Dagon said, speaking for the first time since Hastur and Edwin had arrived, stepping forward to be acknowledged. "You have not left hell since-"

"Since the aborted apocalypse" Beelzebub finished for them, standing once more and making their way back down the steps. 

They stopped in front of Edwin, letting their eyes rake up and down his scrawny form before stepping past him. With a tilt of their head they beckoned him to follow and Edwin did without question. Beelzebub wondered if it was more wanting to be away from Hastur than actually having much respect for the prince.

"Lord Beelzebub" Dagon called after them but they were ignored.

Yes it had been a long time since they had left this place Beelzebub thought to themself as they and Edwin exited the room. A very long time but it was well overdue and what better place to take a vacation than an entirely different universe. 

The grin stayed on the Prince's face as the doors to the courtroom slammed shut, leaving both behind in Dukes in shocked disbelief.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Azraphale let out a satisfied sigh after taking a long swig of his coffee, placing the mug down as the brothers watched from the other side of the table. Nothing much had been said since they had gotten to the kitchen and the brothers were well and truly having their patience tested. In all honesty if it were anyone else but a friend who had appeared in their home the way the angel had they would already have beaten the information out of them.

"Aziraphale," Sam said his name softly, trying to ease into the conversation. "Can you tell us how you got here?"

"Ah yes" Aziraphale breathed out, wrapping his hand around his mug as if the warmth brought him comfort. "Well it all started when I received a letter from heaven"

"What? They send mail?" Dean interjected, in genuine surprise.

Sam gave his brother an impatient look but Aziraphale only laughed still finding Dean hilarious it seemed.

"Oh yes dear boy, they have a very sufficient postal service" Aziraphale explained with a smile before his expression became more serious. "The letter in question was a summons for me. They would like for me to return to heaven so they can re-evaluate my banishment"

"Re-evaluate?" Sam asked.

"Banishment?" Jack added.

Now it was Dean's turn to look impatient as he leant further across the table, urging the angel silently to continue. 

"Yes, as you both know and I am sure you have told young Jack here also, Crowley and myself managed to avert the apocalypse in our world. Well I'm sure you can guess that neither heaven nor hell were very happy with our actions. We were both put on trial and sentenced to death"

Dean let out a whistle, leaning back in his seat once more and rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.

"Man.. They really don't mess about do they?" He mumbled, shaking his head.

"You are not wrong my friend" Aziraphale agreed, nodding his head solemnly. "They are not too agreeable to angels or even demons thinking for themselves"

"The same here" Sam said, glancing at Jack who was listening to the conversation with interest while leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Yes, after having a conversation with Castiel we also came to the agreement that our heavens are very similar and not in any of the good ways" Aziraphale said before taking another swig of his coffee.

The angel did not miss the way that Dean flinched ever so slightly when Aziraphale had mentioned Castiel's name but he decided to save that for later. 

"So yes, you may understand that when I received this letter I was more than a little surprised by the news" Aziraphale paused, unable to look any of them in the eye when he finished with, "I was afraid even.."

Sam and Dean shared a sympathetic look for their friend. Sam had seen first hand what Aziraphale's superiors were like, he still remembered the feeling of being lifted by the collar like he weighed nothing by a very angry Archangel.

"I was in such a stoop about it I even took it out on Crowley and I feel terribly for it" Aziraphale mumbled, stifling a sniffle as he stared down at his coffee. "I saw the book and without thinking I opened it, truthfully deep down I know I was wishing to be away from there but it still surprised me when it actually happened. I just need time to think everything through"

"And.. this book," Sam said, his brow creased in thought. "Where did it come from?"

"Well, you see, that was delivered as well. Pretty soon after you left actually" was Aziraphale's reply.

Silence followed as the brothers and the nephilim took in the new information. Sam had questions. Lot of them but as he began to open his mouth it was as if Dean read his mind and quickly spoke over the top of him.

"Well mi casa es su casa" Dean smiled, reaching across the table to tap the angel gently on the hand. "You're welcome to stay as long as you like. Work things out or whatever"

Dean ignored the blatant look of surprise his brother shot him and continued to look at Aziraphale as his eyes widened and his cheek got dusted pink.

"Oh.. Oh really?" He said in such a relieved voice it caused the older hunters ears to turn pink. "I do not want to intrude"

"You're not!" Dean said with a genuine smile. "If anything I'm just returning the favour"

"Dean" Sam said, offering the angel a smile then turning full bitch face to Dean, saying through gritted teeth, "Can I speak to you for a sec?"

Dean inwardly groaned and got to his feet to walk to the doorway with his brother, noticing that Jack quickly took his place opposite Aziraphale probably to ask all sorts of questions about the angels home.

Once they got to the doorway Dean's smile faded, replaced with a frown as he stared at his brother, waiting for the inevitable scolding.

"Dean. What are you doing?!" Sam snapped in a whispered shout.

"What? I'm offering a friend a place to stay while he figures out his baggage! Why is that so bad?'' Dean hissed back, his own anger starting to boil in his stomach at his brother's tone.

"A friend that is from another reality. I don't know if you noticed when we were over there Dean but his world was a lot less violent than ours!" Sam pressed even as he thought of the Archangel Gabriel, yes that had been a close call but Sam was sure if they had been in their own world he probably wouldn't have survived a face off with an Archangel.

"He's in the bunker. With us. Nothing is going to happen to him. Plus he's an angel it's not like he is a helpless human" Dean stated, waving his arm towards Aziraphale.

Sam looked over at the angel who was laughing happily along with Jack at the table and he let out a deep sigh, rubbing a thumb against his eyes before composing himself and looking at Dean once more.

"He has got to be the softest angel I have ever met. Even Cas has nothing on him" Sam said, some of the force behind his argument dying away.

Dean frowned about to jump to Aziraphale's defence when voices could be heard from further up the hall. Both brothers frowned, stepping out into the hall to look in the direction of the noise.

Dean instantly recognised Castiel's deep voice and it caused his heart rate to pick up and his stomach to twist all at once. He didn't know how he felt about it but when Castiel rounded the corner the hunter could not help but hurry towards him and throw his arms around the slightly surprised angel. After a moment the angel returned the gesture, letting out a long breath as Dean snuggled his face into the crook of his shoulder.

"Cas.." he sighed, voice muffled by Castiel's trenchcoat. "Cas I need to say I'm s-"

"Dean Winchester as I live and die!"

And that. That was another voice that the hunter instantly recognised, pulling his head out of Castiel's neck to look over his shoulder. Even Sam had stepped closer to the pair where he had been hanging back to give them space. Both brothers' eyes landed on the smirking red head who stood in the corridor.

"Crowley!?" Dean said, eyebrows thrown high.

"Oh well. This is just great" Sam muttered sarcastically.


	6. The quarrel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!!   
> So I have decided to start posting twice a week :D  
> I will post on Tuesdays and Fridays
> 
> Just giving an angst warning for this chapter.. sorry 
> 
> Anyway
> 
> Enjoy :)

Aziraphale heard the other voices in the hall as he sat and spoke to Jack. The young man asking all sorts or questions about his bookshop and Crowley's car and even about how he had become such good friends with the demon. The angel had been contemplating where to even start on that latter question when he had first heard the distinct tones of Castiel's voice.

When the speaking became louder even Jack turned towards the door, purking up When he heard Castiel. They both stood from the table as the trench coated angel came into view.

"Cas!" Jack beamed, quickly making his way over to stand in front of his adopted father. 

Castiel regarded the young man for a moment, obvious affection in his blue eyes as he rested a hand on Jack's shoulder giving it a squeeze. 

Aziraphale watched the pair from where he stood at the table, waiting patiently for them to finish, not wanting to interrupt, seeing as how Jack had been so excited to see Castiel. Then Castiel was looking at him and Aziraphale's face broke into a brilliant smile of white teeth that the other angel returned straight away.

"Hello Castiel" he smiled as he stepped around the table, taking the three big steps towards him and giving Castiel a welcoming embrace. "It is so so very good to see you again"

"I feel the same," Castiel said back in his gravelly voice, slapping the angel on the back as they separated, an action he had clearly learnt from Dean.

Aziraphale stayed in front of the angel, letting his eyes take in Castiel's face. He had changed, Aziraphale noticed straight away. Not so much his appearance but the way he held himself, as though the weight he had carried on their first meeting had only been added to in the past two years and there was a new sadness in the other angels' blues that caused Aziraphale to swallow a lump in his throat. He had been hoping that Castiel would have found new happiness with Dean and maybe feel lighter for it but it seemed it may not have been the case. Though thinking about it, Dean had not said much at all about Castiel since Aziraphale had arrived, he had not even mentioned his name once, thought the angel.

He was about to comment on this fact, subtly of course, when the last being he had expected to see in this bunker rounded the doorway into the kitchen, a smug look on his shade covered face. 

Crowley froze when his eyes found Aziraphale and it would have been almost comical if it was not so bloody surprising. Crowley pushed his shades up his face and rubbed at his eyes as if not believing Aziraphale was actually in front of him and it caused the angel to 'tsk'.

"Crowley, what are you doing here?!" Aziraphale said, not being able to control the scolding tone that it came out in.

"Ngk!" Crowley blinked, taken back by Aziraphale not being as happy to see him as the demon had hoped. He fixed his features, feeling relief and the first hints of anger mixing in his gut. "What am I doing here?! Don't you think I should be asking you that question?!"

Aziraphale scoffed but did not say anything straight away, his hands on his hips now as he stood staring at his demon. Castiel realized that it would probably be best if they were left alone, reaching out and taking Jack's arm by the elbow to pull him out the kitchen. Jack opened his mouth to protest but one stern look from Castiel had him closing it again and he followed willingly.

Once alone, Crowley's shoulders dropped from their position as he let out a heavy sigh. He could see that Aziraphale was struggling to keep up his annoyed demeanor and in truth he had been so worried about him he could not help the chuckle that escaped his mouth. 

"Angel" he nervously giggled, closing the space between them, wrapping his long arms around Aziraphale's chest.

Aziraphale did not hesitate to return the hug even as upset as he seemed to be with Crowley and the demon was glad. It only lasted for a moment before Aziraphale was pulling away, clutching both of Crowley's biceps in his hands and holding him at arm's length.

"Crowley what happened? What are you doing here?" He asked frowning at his lover. The demon frowned back for a minute but his expression soon turned to one of an injured puppy and Aziraphale suddenly felt awful. "Oh my love, dinner. We were supposed to have dinner.."

"Dinner?!" Crowley blurted out, suddenly sounding angry and a little hurt. "That's the first thing that comes to mind" he pulled out of Aziraphale's grip, making a show of stepping back. "I get to the bookshop after being chased by Hastur and his new butler to find that you are missing!"

"Wait.. did you say Hastur-"

But Crowley was so worked up he didn't even hear Aziraphale speak.

"And that's not even the worst of it!" He blurted out, throwing his hands in the air. "Ngk! I found the letter!" Aziraphale's eyes became impossibly wide. "Yeah and shoot me but I read it! Heaven wants you back and instead of talking to me about it, you.. you.. you ran away!" 

By this point the demon was pointing an accusing finger at the angel who was growing more uncomfortable by the minute. Aziraphale's blue eyes flicked to the door, seeing that they were indeed still alone. He took a deep breath to steady himself before he spoke again.

"Crowley" he said the demon's name softly waiting for the shaded eyes to meet his before continuing. "I am so, so sorry that I left. I know what I did was cowardly" Crowley's face became a little softer at the tone of the angel's voice, hearing the quiver in it. "In truth I was afraid and at a loss of what to do."

"Why did you not just tell me angel?" Crowley all but mumbled, looking to his feet like a child who had been told off.

"I was afraid.." Aziraphale took a deep breath, forcing himself to keep looking at the demon. "I was afraid you would not understand"

Crowley's head snapped up then, fixing his gaze on the angel and Aziraphale realized too late that he had used the worst phrasing possible.

"Oh. Right. Ngh. Sure" Crowley said, punctuating each word with enough venom to cause the angel to flinch. "Of course  _ I  _ wouldn't understand"

"Crowley I didn't mean-" Aziraphale tired but was cut off again.

"Oh I know what you mean. I know exactly what you mean!" Crowley all but snarled now, truly on the defensive as he started pacing the kitchen. "A lowly demon like me wouldn't understand anything about heaven!"

"Crowley please.."

But the demon could not even hear Aziraphale anymore even if he had wanted to. He was so worked up he could almost hear ringing in his ears. Then all of a sudden he stopped pacing, his eyes becoming huge under his shades as if he realized something, he turned on the angel so quickly that Aziraphale took a subconscious step back.

"You think they are going to let you back in" his finger was pointing at the angel again and Aziraphale quickly tried shaking his head to deny the accusation but Crowley would not be heeded. "You think they are going to let you back in. Let you home. You.." his voice trembled so bad by this point that he had to take an unneeded breath to steady himself.

Aziraphale stepped forward, wanting to embrace his lover. Wanting to deny everything but when Crowley looked at him his eyes were blazing and Aziraphale was sure for a moment he could see hellfire dance across his pupils.

"You want them to. You're going to say yes!" 

The demon's aura seemed to seep from his form, billowing out darky around him until the kitchen around him started to shake. Aziraphale glanced at the table to see his coffee mug vibrating across its surface and reached out to catch it before it fall off the edge, not that it saved the other kitchen implements. Pots and pans fell from their shelves and several china plates crashed to the floor to break into tiny pieces. 

Then suddenly it just stopped. When Aziraphale looked at Crowley again he had almost shrank into himself, his skinny arms wrapped around his slim chest and he was shuddering as if crying though the angel could see no tears.

"Crowley.." 

"You're going to leave me"

The accusation felt like a slap in the face and Aziraphale had to lean against the kitchen table to keep his balance, feeling as though an icicle had split his heart. Had he really caused his demon to believe that was the case? No.. it can't be because surely Crowley would know that Aziraphale would never leave him.. right?

He pushed himself away from the table, almost stumbling the short distance towards Crowley but just as he was in grasping distance the demon stepped away, towards the kitchen door.

"You Ngh.. you just Ngk"

"Crowley.. please.."

"You do you. Have your space. I'm.. I'm just gunna.."

He was fully walking away now and for the life of the angel he could not get his legs to follow after. Then he was gone and Aziraphale could not help but let out a quiet sob as he stood amongst the shards of china.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Castiel had led Jack out of the kitchen, he had sensed that his two friends needed some space. He was secretly a little proud of himself for being able to recognise this and smiled to himself as he and Jack walked down the hall in search of the brothers.

It did not take them long to find them. All you had to do was follow the slightly raised gruff voices that came from the library. 

"What the hell are we going to do about this Dean?!" Sam was saying as Cas and Jack stepped into the library to join them.

Dean had sat himself down on one of the chairs and had his feet, boots and all, on the table with his arm crossed over his chest in a defensive manner.

"What? You seriously going to chuck a friend out when they are going through a rough patch?" He said back, daring Sam to continue the argument.

"I'm not saying that Dean, I'm just saying that something will go wrong. Our visit with them was not exactly smooth sailing" Sam said, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Our Crowley is gone. He caused all the trouble, remember?" Dean argued back.

"Are you seriously forgetting about the fact that they took Cas and you almost got killed in hell trying to get him back!"

"I didn't almost get killed. Sammy you are  _ so _ dramatic" Dean shot back, reveling in the way Sam practically gasped at his insult. "Anyway" he pushed on, "not like anyone else if gonna get through"

"Actually" Castiel said, causing both brothers to jump as they had not heard him or Jack enter. "It may not be just them"

"What?!" Sam, Dean and Jack said in tandem.

Castiel stepped further into the room, walking to stop at the table the brothers were situated at, followed closely by Jack, the young nephilim not wanting to miss anything.

"When Crowley woke up after I-"

"Hit him with your car," Dean finished.

Castiel held in the urge to roll his eyes.

"Yes, thankyou Dean" he grated out before continuing, "He spoke of another book in their world. He also was quite panicked. Telling me that Hastur had it along with another name who I can only assume is also a demon"

Sam and Dean looked at each other then and Castiel did not have to read minds to know what they were thinking. 

"So demons from their world are going to come here?" Asked Jack, sounding more excited than the situation called for.

"Most probably" Castiel said in a nod. "We can only assume that they will come through sooner or later even if it is by accident"

Sam all but groaned, lowering himself into a chair to rest his head in his hands. Dean had removed his feet from the table, now leaning forward in his chair to rest his elbows on the table.

"Well.. that's alright! They will just end up here right? I mean we have the other book and Aziraphale ended up here right? So we just need to be ready. Demon traps, angel blades sorted"

Castiel turned to look at the older hunter, trying to rein in his impatience at Dean utter denial of the situation's seriousness.

"Dean" he almost growled causing the hunter to sit up straighter, his Adam's apple bobbing at the roughness of the angel's voice. "I was two towns over when Crowley appeared to me. Nowhere near the book"

"So they could turn up anywhere," Sam finally said.

"That. Does not seem like a good thing" Jack added, looking at each of the men's faces.

"It's not" Castiel agreed, nodding solemnly.

They remained silent for a moment, letting the new twist on things sink in.

They all started when everything in the library started to shake, several books that Dean had only just replaced back to their shelves fell to the floor causing both Winchesters to jump to their feet in defence.

"What is that?!" Dean almost yelled, reaching to pull his hand gun from his pants on instinct.

"Demonic magic" Castiel answered, pulling out his own weapon.

"They are here already?!" Jack all but yelped, pressing his back to Castiel's, ready for danger to appear then and there.

Then just as suddenly as it started it stopped as the four men looked at each other in confusion just as Crowley stomped onto the library. 

"Cas!" He greeted with forced enthusiasm that the angel did not miss. "You were on a case right? What do you say we go finish it?"

Dean quickly pushed his gun back onto his pants noticing that Cas did the same with the angel blade. 

"Yes.. but I should probably go alone" Cas replied.

"Wait you're leaving again" Dean accused, turning to look at Castiel, hating how desperate his voice sounded.

"I have a case, Dean. I came to drop off Crowley to safety but I have to go and finish it. People need me to stop whatever it is that is killing their friends and family"

"Okay. Well I will come with you" Dean offered.

"Dean" Sam snapped. "You can't leave. I need your help with this. We have to get them home"

"Aziraphale wants time. Give him that. I can help Cas solve the case then we can sort this out when I get back" Dean growled back, glaring at his brother.

"No Dean. Sam is right. You should stay. Besides.." Castiel glances over at the demon who was waiting quietly in the entrance of the library. "I will have Crowley with me"

"Seriously?! You're going to take Crowley?"

Crowley scoffed and it was at that moment Dean realized how rude he was actually being. Making it sound like Crowley would not last five seconds on a hunt. When in reality Dean was actually just hurt that Cas was choosing a demon over him.. again.

"Great!" Crowley chirped, stepping up to the small group, and giving Dean a wink that caused the hunter to gulp. "Let's go then Cas!" 

Crowley quickly sauntered over to the war room towards the exit. 

"Well he's in a hurry" Sam commented. 

Dean and Cas stared at each other for a moment before the angel straightened and followed the demon out of the library. Leaving Dean feeling more than a little dejected.


	7. The arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :)

After Castiel and Crowley left, Dean had remained seated at the table for a while. He could hear Sam and Jack talking but none of what they were saying really sunk in. He felt downhearted and a little jealous. The jealousy had shocked him some, Crowley was his and Castiel's friend and he knew he had nothing to worry about when it came to the demon but the fact that Castiel had chose to go off with Crowley when Dean had offered to tag along had hurt, hurt more than Dean would ever be willing to say out loud.

"I think I should call Rowena" he heard Sam say.

On hearing the witch's name Dean finally looked up from where he had been staring without seeing at the surface of the table. Now noticing that Jack had left the library. When? The hunter did not know but his brother was looking at him expectantly so he cleared his throat, sitting up straighter in his seat.

"Why?" Dean finally asked, hating how dry his throat was feeling.

"She might be able to track where these demons might show up, or if they are already here then she can tell us where they are" Sam explained as he dug around in his jeans pocket, pulling out his phone.

"Right. Yeah. You know she will want something right?" Dean grumbled.

Sam just gave him a typical little brother stare and that was enough to get Dean out of his seat and walking back towards the kitchen. As he rounded the door into the hall he could hear the moment Rowena answered the phone and Sam's somewhat awkward greeting.

When he made it to the kitchen he was surprised to find Aziraphale on the floor surrounded by broken plates, pots and pans. He watched as the angel collected the broken shards of china, gathering them all in his hands. When the angel seemed satisfied that he had collected it all he closed his eyes for a second, looking like he was concentrating, when he opened them again the broken plate was whole again. Dean's green eyes tracked Aziraphale's hand as he added the newly fixed plate to a pile and began to collect the remnants of the next.

"What happened in here?" Dean asked as he made his way over to the kneeling angel.

Aziraphale jumped, actually jumped when Dean had spoken. So lost in the motions of fixing the plates he hadn't even heard Dean approach.

"Oh! Dean.." Aziraphale said, looking up at the hunter. The angel's eyes were red around the edges but he did not keep eye contact with Dean for long. Quickly looking back at the mess around him. "Crowley got a little upset," he explained, his cheeks burning red. "I am very sorry for the mess"

Dean lowered himself so that he knelt beside the angel, beginning to collect pieces of broken china himself. 

"It's okay. You don't need to say sorry" Dean said softly.

"I do though" Aziraphale mumbled, taking the shards that Dean had collected and miracling them back together again. "If I had not been so foolish in the first place you would not have to be dealing with this"

Dean stared for a moment at the fixed plate, running his fingers over the smooth surface as if looking for cracks that were no longer there.

"Everyone has problems" Dean offered adding the fixed plate to the pile. "Us more than most" Dean joked, standing to start collecting the pots from the floor.

Aziraphale chuckled but there wasn't much heart in it. "Well I am sorry for adding to it nonetheless" he commented as he collected the last of the shards and Dean knew that the angel really meant it.

"Don't sweat it" he said, offering him a signature grin. Aziraphale returned it with a sniffle.

They cleaned up the rest of the kitchen in silence, it was tidy in no time with them both working together and everything was fixed and back where it belonged when they both plonked themselves down at the kitchen table.

"So" Dean finally said, once they had both looked at their handy work for a few minutes. "What were you fighting about?" 

"Ah.. It's complicated. I do not want to bore you with it" Aziraphale mumbled back, looking down at his hands.

"C'mon I wanna know. What are friends for eh?" Dean urged gently, smiling at the angel.

He genuinely did care and wanted to know what had happened with his two friends. He doubted that he could do anything to help but he wanted to be there anyway. He owed Aziraphale that much at least.

"Well. I had mentioned before about a letter from heaven" he paused waiting for Dean to nod before continuing. "When I got pulled here Crowley had come looking for me. He found the letter and read it" the angel let out a deep sigh "I'm not upset that he read it. I just want to say that"

Dean nodded again, keeping quiet so the angel would carry on.

"He was not entirely pleased with what he read. It is my own fault that he got it wrong. I should never have hidden it from him. I should have confided in him straight away" Aziraphale said in a trembling voice.

Dean leaned over the table a little, catching the angels eyes and nodding his head in reassurance.

"Everyone makes mistakes" the hunter offered, knowing he had made plenty himself.

"I agree but this is a mistake I should have known better of. He believes that I will return to heaven without a second thought. He believes that if they were to ask me back I would. He thinks I am going to leave him" Aziraphale explained, now fiddling with the bottom of his waistcoat.

"Would you?" Dean asked, because now he was genuinely curious.

"No!" Aziraphale all but yelped. He quickly composed himself before he spoke again. "No I could never leave him. He means too much to me. He means everything to me. When I was with Heaven in the past I was always miserable" 

Dean did not speak so Aziraphale continued on a sigh. "I was never accepted by any of my peers. They had always commented on me becoming native, spending too much time on earth indulging in human things. I was the odd one out, some might say" he chuckled but there was no humour in it, his blue eyes almost haunted. "The best part of my existence was always him. We were not supposed to speak but we always ended up finding each other and once the apocalypse had been averted and we were no longer watched by our sides we decided we should just blow caution to the wind and be together. It's the happiest I have been in millenia''

Dean could not help but grin as the angel's expression became dreamy as he remembered his time with the demon. They really had it deep for each other eh? This only made Dean smile wider.

"So why would he think you were leaving? If you guys are so happy with each other?" 

"Because he has never gotten over what heaven did to him," Aziraphale explained, noticing the hunters eyebrow's raise he explained further. "A very very long time ago he was an angel. Just like me. But there was a rebellion and Crowley was cast out. He fell. Becoming the demon he is now"

"Wait!" Dean exclaimed, shocked. "He was an angel?"

Aziraphale nodded and Dean leant back in his seat to let the information sink in. 

"I am afraid that he has never really gotten over it. Not that I can blame him. It was the main reason I hid the letter"

Dean nodded. Poor dude. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like, to once be something so holy and untouchable to then be something as slimy as a demon. Not that Dean saw Crowley that way, no way, the guy was great. Dean had felt like he could talk to him easily and he often forgot that he was anything but another guy.

He frowned as his thoughts drifted to Castiel. Did he still think about the fall? About being locked out of heaven, his home for eons. Probably. The thought just made Dean feel depressed knowing that there was nothing much he could do even if it were the case. Shit.

He glanced up at the angel opposite him seeing that Aziraphale was clearly feeling as rotten as him. He banged his hands down onto the table, causing Aziraphale to start. He got to his feet reaching out his hand for the angel to take.

"Why don't we go after them?" He asked, as Aziraphale took the offered hand, letting the hunter pull him to his feet.

"On the case?" The angel asked, sounding very unsure.

"Yeah!" Dean smiled, clapping the angel on the shoulder. "I can show you just what it is I do for a living"

Aziraphale seemed to consider this a moment before he was returning the smile with full force and Dean almost had to squint at the brightness of it.

"I would truly enjoy that" he beamed.

"Great. Hunter in training" Dean said, winking at the angel as he led him out the room.

Aziraphale laughed happily as he followed, his problems, for the moment, forgotten.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

At around the same time that Castiel and Crowley had left the bunker Leaving a depressed Dean in their wake, a blinding flash of light had exploded behind a diner two towns over.

Of course no one noticed. As the light dimmed and disappeared, two figures stood in its aftermath.

"Ughh!" Groaned Edwin when he looked down to see he was standing in a muddy puddle.

Beelzebub rolled their eyes and the other demon jumped out of the wet, shaking his feet like a cat once he had done so. Edwin glared down at his boots for another moment before looking at the prince.

"Woah" he breathed, his orange eyes raking down Beelzebub's form.

"What?" The prince snapped.

"Nuthin'. You just look good that's all"

The prince's cheeks burned at the compliment. They had spent a few hours before opening the book to make sure their appearance had been suitable for the human world. Edwin had barely changed his appearance at all, just changing his jacket and swaying his hips when he stated he fitted in just fine up top. The change for Beelzebub had been more dramatic. They had changed their clothes into tight jeans and a baggy t-shirt, leaving behind the fishnets and sash for a pair of red doc martens. Even their face looked different, if you knew them they would still look like the lord of flies, but not, all at the same time. Their face was no longer covered in weeping sores and scabs and their cheeks now held a very human looking glow.

"Shut up" they snapped, feeling uncomfortable with their voice but also appreciating the lack of buzz that usually accompanied their words.

Beelzebub began to walk down the alley towards the busy highstreet, choosing to ignore the knowing look that Edwin still had plastered on his features. The demon quickly hurried to catch up though just as the pair stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"I love America" Edwin breathed out as his eyes tracked the people walking past.

Beelzebub did not care to comment, instead starting to walk again. Heading down the street and quickly becoming one with the crowd. Edwin had to jog to catch up again, falling into stride alongside his boss.

"So what's the plan?" Edwin asked finally.

The prince stopped in their tracks causing a woman to have to step around them but the prince did not care, fixing their cold eyes on the demon.

"Can you track Crowley?" They asked bluntly, ignoring the annoyed looks that passers by shot them as they blocked up the sidewalk.

"I can. I need to find somewhere for me to meditate. Scan the world and find his location" Edwin explained.

Edwin continued to speak but Beelzebub had long since stopped listening. Their eyes had landed on an ice cream parlour across the street from them. The bright pinks and bubblegum blues that the prince would usually find revolting catching and holding their attention.

"My lord?" Edwin said after a moment, realizing that the prince was not listening.

"You need somewhere quiet?" Beelzebub asked as they stepped around the demon, making their way across the road. 

"Er yep" Edwin replied, following obediently after them.

Edwin only became more confused when the prince stopped just outside the ice cream parlour, leaning forward to cup their hands around their face as they peered inside.

"Will this be sufficient enough?" They asked when they pulled their face away from the glass.

"Uhmm.." Edwin choked out as they followed the prince's stare. Seeing many people inside, talking and laughing merrily. "Yeah" he said the word slowly as if expecting the prince to be joking.

But Beelzebub, lord of flies and prince of hell did not joke and Edwin remembered this as the prince smiled as if pleased with the demon's answer, proceeding to push the door open and step inside. 

A bell above the door jingled to address their entry and a bubbly blonde woman behind the counter called out in greeting. Beelzebub stood stock still for a moment, letting the sweet smells and retro music take over their senses all while being watched cautiously by Edwin.

"Yes" they said, a small smile forming on their mouth. "This will do nicely"

Edwins did not move as the prince made their way over to a booth and slid into it, picking up a menu and flipping it over in their hand to inspect it with interest.

This was weird, Edwin thought but after a moment he shrugged making his way over to join the prince. But maybe this mission wouldn't be so bad he thought as he watched Beelzebub study the menu. Fun even.

  
  
  



	8. The disguise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays everyone! <3
> 
> Enjoy :)

The happy go lucky routine Crowley had been sporting inside with the brothers and Jack had vanished instantly the moment he and Castiel stepped out of the bunker.

He did not say a word as he got into the passenger side of Castiel's car, not bothering to put on his seat belt and leaning back into the seat.

Castiel had noticed but had chosen not to comment. In truth he was dealing with his own inner turmoil. Had he been too harsh towards Dean when he had refused his company on the hunt? He was starting to believe that he had. He felt awful about it and it had taken all his angelic strength not to get back out of the car and storm back to him. Tell him he was sorry and kiss away the hunters hurt expression.

But he didn't. He didn't know if it was his pride or shame that kept him from doing so. Most probably the latter. 

Once they were out on the road again, the bunker shrinking further and further into the distance Crowley released a long sigh, turning his head to look over at the brooding angel. 

"So what's going on with you and Dean?" He asked.

Castiel's grip on the steering wheel tightened causing the plastic to creek under his strength. He glanced over at Crowley but quickly looked back at the road.

"Why do you ask?" He questioned back, his voice a deep monotone.

"Oh come  _ on _ Castiel" Crowley pouted, never taking his eyes off the angel beside him. "He wanted to come along but you said no? And when you saw each other when we got there it was.. well it was awkward if I'm being honest. Trust me I know awkward" he laughed and shook his head, "I myself am also having a relationship crisis so I can see the signs"

"Ah.." Castiel breathed out, staring defiantly at the road. "I did not realize it was that obvious"

Castiel caught himself and let out a small breathy laugh, remembering that he had said the same words to Aziraphale two years ago when the angel had pointed out his feelings towards Dean.

"I suppose Dean and I have not become any less transparent over the years" he sighed, the smile falling from his lips when he continued, "We had an argument. He was being reckless and almost got himself killed and I.."

"You got scared and had a go at him" Crowley finished for him when he noticed Castiel struggling to find the words.

Castiel nodded, "I did. I am not proud of it. We have been through so much since we last saw you. And after I came back to life and we realized how easy things can be taken from us I just thought he would have learnt to be more careful"

"Well," Crowley said, clicking his tongue, "Dean has never exactly struck me as the 'careful' type. I mean he ran head first into hell to save you.." his voice trailed off as his eyes widened. "Came back to life? You died?!" He all but yelped and the worry in his voice made Castiel feel warm in his chest, knowing that the demon truly cared for his well being.

"I did. I was killed by Lucifer. Stabbed in the back actually.. not surprising, he had already done it to me several times" he glanced at Crowley and saw his eyes widen, if that was even possible at this point and quickly added. "Metaphorically stabbed me in the back, it was only the one time he actually used a blade"

"Ngh.. b-blimey.." Crowley breathed out leaning back in his seat and running a hand through his well kept hair. After a moment he looked back over at the angel who had barely moved and inch during the entire conversation. "But you're back and you're.. you're you. How?"

"Jack" Castiel answered, pulling up at a red light and gazing at the demon. He noticed that Crowley 

actually had no idea who he was speaking about so he continued, "the young man who I was in the kitchen with earlier. His name is Jack. He brought me back. He's a nephilim"

Crowley felt instantly guilty for not at least introducing himself to the young man. Thinking back to it he had felt something, something huge coming from Jack but he had ignored it the second he had seen Aziraphale. 

"Half angel half human. Wow. I've never met one" Crowley finally said.

"He is the first here in a very long time," Castiel explained as he got the car moving again. "He is the first of his kind in other ways. He is half Archangel"

"Archangel" Crowley repeated breathely. His mind suddenly conjured up Gabriel and he cringed at the thought of him making a child. Ew, just no.

"Lucifers to be exact" Castiel added, his blue eyes tracing the highstreet they now drove down.

Crowley almost held out his hand to catch his eyes that were sure to pop out their sockets at any moment. 

"Woah. Ngk. I guess a lot can happen in two years" he finally mumbled, when he'd composed himself enough to speak. "I'm glad you're okay though, boy problems and all"

Castiel pulled the car up alongside the curb as Crowley spoke, offering the demon a smile that he hoped conveyed his thanks before opening the glove compartment and pulling out his fake badge. Crowley eyed it, lifting a brow in question when the angel looked at him once more after securely placing it in his inside pocket.

"I have some questions for the head librarian," Castiel explained as he eyed the building. "She was the last one to be seen with the victim when they were alive" 

"Victim? Okay. Wow. This really is a case. Like CSI" Crowley all but Squeaked. 

"Uhm.. Not quite. Instead of hunting murderers we are hunting monsters though more often than not it is the humans who are the monsters" Castiel said in a sombre tone. "But we are actually looking for a monster this time, a werewolf. I'm sure of it" he tried not to laugh at the expression on Crowley's face, which was one of pure excitement.

They both got out of the car, Cas taking extra time to make sure he looked presentable in the reflection of his window. Once he deemed his hair acceptable he straightened, looking over the roof of the car to the over excited demon who was staring at the library and practically vibrating on the spot. He allowed himself to take in the demon's appearance while Crowley was not looking and one glance told Castiel that his friend was definitely not dressed for the role of FBI agent, not if his leather pants and snake skin boots were anything to go by.

"Crowley" he said, waiting for the demon to look at him before he continued, "when we go in there I will be acting as a FBI agent"

"Yeah? Well you look the part" Crowley chimed.

"You don't," Castiel said bluntly, once he was stood beside Crowley. 

Crowley looked down at himself and raised a cocky eyebrow at Castiel that had the angel stuttering to correct himself when he realised his words could have been taken as an insult. 

"I-I mean.. Your appearance is fine. I didn't mean to offend I just meant that for an agent you are very underdressed" 

Crowley stared at Castiel for another moment before he let out a honk of laughter. Castiel's brow thouroghed at that, not understanding what was so funny. Crowley playfully pushed at Castiel's shoulder, his laughter dying down to a more controllable level before he finally managed to speak again.

"It's alright Cas. I get whatcha mean" he grinned. He glanced over the angels shoulders, spotting some public toilets just across the street from the library. He nodded and looked back at Castiel before speaking again. "Why don't you head in and find our librarian and I shall make myself look more the part"

"Do you need money to buy a suit?" Castiel asked as the demon swayed around him.

Crowley just waved a no over his shoulder not looking back as he made his way across the street and disappeared into the rest rooms. Castiel watched after him for a moment before shaking his head and making his way into the library, holding the door open for a woman and her small child as they exited the building.

Once inside he made his way over to the counter where a young man sat stamping books that had been returned. He looked up as Castiel approached, offering the angel a smile that Castiel tried to return but felt it didn't quite match the enthusiasm on the man's face. 

"Hello there sir. How can I help you today?" He chimed, pushing the books to the side to give Castiel his full attention.

"I would like to speak to Mrs Vera Clark please" Castiel said gruffly, pulling out his badge and flashing it at the man. "It's official FBI business, I need to ask her a few questions"

"Oh, uh.. okay" the man said, looking at Castiel's badge with wide eyes. He cleared his throat looking up at the angel again. "She is actually on her lunch break at the mo. Can I take a message?"

"I would like to speak directly to Mrs Clark. Can you call her?" Castiel asked, giving the man his sternest stare.

"Uh.. she doesn't like to be interrupted during her break" the guy squeaked out, shrinking away from Castiel's glare.

"This is of great import" Castiel pushed, his patience already wearing thin with the man.

"Look dude" the man said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "I'm already on my last warning and if I bother her now she will have my ne- woah!" The man cut off halfway through his sentence, looking past Castiel towards the exit, his eyes becoming even wider.

Castiel turned to see what the man was looking at and he had to do a double take. A woman had just walked into the library, wearing a slim blazer jacket and knee length pinstripe skirt. Her hair was curled and hung down to her waist, a waist that was almost too thin to be healthy. Woman never caught Castiel's attention so usually he would have looked away but when he spotted the unmistakable sunglasses on her face he was definitely unable to.

She looked around the library for a minute, wrinkling her nose slightly before her gaze fell on Castiel who stood stock still by the counter, his mouth agape. A smile stretched her red lips and she made her way over to the angel, high heels clipping on the tiled floor.

"Crowley?" Castiel managed to choke out once the woman stood right in front of him.

"Agent" she said, a smirk on her lips. "I thought I told you to call me Anita" 

Crowley winked at Castiel and the angel opened and shut his mouth a few times before managing to compose himself. It was a little surprising for Castiel to see Crowley this way, not that it bothered him, quite the opposite actually. Castiel found himself wanting to ask copious amounts of questions on how he had managed it. He was clearly not in a vessel so he had actually changed his physical being completely. Fascinating.

Crowley raised a brow at Castiel and he realized too late that he had been staring. He cleared his throat and straightened his stance before speaking.

"I was asking for our witness but it seems she is on lunch and this man does not seem to want to contact her" Castiel explained, nodding his head towards the man behind the counter who was staring at Crowley with an ever growing blush on his cheeks.

"Oh really?" Crowley all but purred, slinking past Castiel. Crowley leant his elbows on the counter, giving the man a sultry smile. "Is there no possible way you could just call. Make an exception of me" the demon cooed, running a delicate finger over one of the books on the counter.

"I er.. uhmm. S-sure miss, one second" 

Castiel frowned at the man over Crowley's shoulder but he did not notice. Crowley turned, smirking at the disgruntled angel.

"It's all about the charm Castiel," Crowley grinned and Castiel let out a snort.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Hastur paced the throne room. Back and forward. Back and forward. 

He was angry. No, he was bloody fuming. How could the prince put him on the sidelines like that and take Edwin instead? What was Beelzebub even thinking? They hadn't left hell in years but suddenly they wanted to not only leave but go to another reality?! Ridiculous.

He let out a growl peering up at the vacant throne. His expression softened slightly then as his black eyes raked down the metal backing and landing on the velvet seat. He took a moment to look around the room making sure he was still alone. He was. Satisfied, he quickly made his way up the steps, turning once at the top so that the back of his legs brushed against the throne. With a deep breath he lowered himself slowly into it, flexing his hands once he was fully seated and wrapping his fingers around the arm rest.

Yes. This was nice. He could get used to sitting here. He imagined how pleasing it would be to have demons come in and cower in his presence. Answer only to him. A wicked grin spread his lips.

It was at that moment the room door flew open and Dagon came barging in a look of pure terror on their face. Hastur let out a squork of surprise, jumping out of the chair so quickly he almost fell down the steps.

"Hastur!" Dagon practically cried, running over to meet the Duke on the steps. 

"What's the matter?" Hastur growled, annoyed that his alone time had been interrupted.

"It's.. it's Gabriel" Dagon stuttered out, his hands shaking as they grabbed at Hasturs arm.

Hastur pushed them off roughly, causing the other Duke to stumble down a few steps.

"What about him?" He snarled.

"He.. he is here"

As if on cue Gabriel came marching into the room, his aura lighting up the space with electricity causing both Dukes to shudder in response.

"Where is Beelzebub?" Gabriel ordered, stopping to glare at the two demons.

Hastur and Dagon looked at each other and Hasturs expression now matched the terrified one Dagon wore.

"They.. they have left" Hastur managed, straightening himself as best he could and lifting his chin.

"Left?! What are you talking about Beelzebub does not go anywhere!" Gabriel snapped, his purple eyes almost glowing.

"T-they went on a mission.. I do you know when they will be back" Hastur gruffed back.

Gabriel let out a long sigh, his shoulder slumping slightly at the news.

"This day has been a nightmare. First Aziraphale is missing from his shop and now you're telling me Beelzebub is missing from hell?!" He all but groaned.

Dagon and Hastur shared another look and Hastur cleared his throat before speaking again.

"Actually the missing Principality has something to do with Beelzebub being gone" the Duke explained, trying not to cringe when Gabriel's eyes fixed on him. "We er.. we think.. well we know that the Crowley has gone to the other universe and I'm guessing the angel is there too"

"Other universe?" Gabriel repeated. "How did they do that?" 

Hastur faltered for a moment. If he told Gabriel about the book he was certain that he would go to the other world. Beezlebub would be furious, their relationship with the Archangel was spiny and they often fought, with words mainly but he was sure if they had the opportunity to end each other they would take it without thought. 

The twisted grin was back on his mouth at that thought. He could send Gabriel there. He would most probably come across the prince. They would fight.. and if Beelzebub never made it back maybe just maybe Hastur could get used to sitting in that throne.

"Archangel Gabriel" he said, bowing his head in fake respect. "They went there using this book"

Dagon all but gasped as Hastur pulled the book from inside his jacket and held it out to the Archangel. Gabriel looked at it skeptically for a moment then took it from the Duke. He stared at Hastur for another moment then without even a thankyou he turned on his heels and left the room.

The smile never faded from Hasturs face as his plan started to take shape.

  
  



	9. The Bar

Dean was once again glad that his angelic boyfriend was stunted when it came to technology. He had turned on the tracker on Castiel's phone the day of the argument and Castiel had yet to turn it off. In truth he was certain that Cas didn't even realise it was on but either way it made finding him and Crowley a whole lot easier.

After explaining to Sam where they were going and getting a serious bitch face in return he and Aziraphale headed to the garage where baby was stored.

"This is quite a beautiful automobile" Aziraphale praised from where he stood beside the Impala.

Dean suppressed a snort of laughter on hearing the word automobile but ultimately smiled at the compliment the angel offered.

"Yeah she is ain't she" Dean grinned, running his hand along the smooth black surface of the Impala as he rounded it to get to the drivers side. "My pride and joy"

Aziraphale nodded with a smile, opening the passenger side door to look inside. His smile only grew as he slid into the seat, wiggling a little to get comfortable. Dean was already in the driver's seat watching as Aziraphale reached out his hand and ran it along the dashboard.

“She is very loved” the angel commented. “You take very good care of her”

“Yeah” Dean agreed, placing his hands on the steering wheel. “We've been through alot me and Sammy but we always had Baby. She was our home for a long time before we found the bunker”

“She is very grateful to have you Dean” Aziraphale said, hand still roaming over the dash.

“She.. wah?” Dean asked, eyebrows raising as he looked at the angel. Wondering if Aziraphale had lost the plot.

“I can feel it,” He explained, looking over at Dean. “I can feel how loved she is and how much she loves you in return”

“Right” Dean managed.

The hunter looked around the car as if seeing it for the first time. He did love this car, anyone who knew Dean would have told you so and the idea that Baby not only knew this but felt the same brought a huge grin to the hunters mouth, his lips spreading until his teeth showed.

“Shall we go find Crowley then?” he asked, showing his smile to Aziraphale.

“And Castiel” Aziraphale added, returning the hunters' smiles with enthusiasm.

“And Cas” Dean agreed with a nod, sliding the key into the ignition and turning it.

The Impala rumbled to life and Azirapale gave out a chuckle as the vibrations ran through him. Dean grinned knowing that Aziraphale hadn't seen anything yet. He was excited to see the angel's reaction once he had the Impala out on the open road and he could really show Aziraphale what she could do.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

It took a little under an hour to reach the town that Castiel and Crowley were in. Aziraphale held Dean's phone in his lap as they drove, directing the hunter on when to turn and which way. Dean pulled the Impala to a halt in a small car park in the center of town, switching off the ignition and accepting the phone when Aziraphale passed it to him.

“They must be close by,” Dean mumbled as he glanced at the phone, watching the little green blip that represented Castiel flash at him from the screen.

“Oh golly, it's getting quite dark. It's later than I thought” Aziraphale said as his eyes looked up at the sky.

The angel was right. The sun was setting and Dean was surprised when he looked at his watch and saw that it was already coming up to eight at night. Where had the day gone? Dean guessed that having surprise guests and pinning after your lover passed the time pretty damn fast. His mouth pulled into a tight line when he thought of said lover. He wanted to make things right with his angel and he decided he would do so before this hunt was over. Then maybe he and Cas could go somewhere with Aziraphale and Crowley before his brother made sure they went home. Like a double date to replace the one he never had with Cas. 

Deans ears become hot at the thought of a double date. God, when had he become such a girl? He let out a sigh and looked over at Aziraphale and realized too late that the angel had been speaking to him but he was too lost in his own head to have heard any of it. He cleared his throat guiltily.

“Sorry, what?”

“I asked where we are going to start looking?” Aziraphale repeated seemingly unbothered by the hunters inability to listen.

That right there was a good question. Other than the fact that Cas was hunting a werewolf Dean actually had no idea about the case. He was kicking himself for not at least looking up the news in this area. He was in such a rush to reunite Aziraphale with Crowley and hopefully fix things with Cas that research had not even crossed his mind.

He scanned the highstreet that stretched out in front of them through the windshield, his eyes tracing pedestrians as they came and went. The street seemed quite busy and Dean remembered that it was indeed friday. That's when his eyes found the bar.

“I think we should start over there,” Dean said, pointing his index finger towards the bar.

“Oh yes! I have not been to an American bar since the early nineteen fifties, I'm sure a lot has changed since then” Azirraphale replied, excitement evident on his features. 

Dean let out a laugh at the angel's words, shaking his head in wonder. Aziraphale must have plenty of stories to tell, thought Dean as they both climbed out the car, maybe at some point they could sit down and exchange some tales over a cold beer. Now that was something Dean could do with right about now. He hadn't had a drink all day what with all the excitement and he was oddly proud of himself for that fact not that it was going to stop him from ordering a cold one once they got inside the bar. 

Once baby was locked the pair made their way over to the building, stepping out of the way of excited night goers whose evenings were just beginning. They could hear the music before they even reached the door and Dean thought it had been way too long since he had been on a night out and had to remind himself that they were here for business not pleasure though the moment they opened the door and the sounds of talking and laughter filled their ears along with the smell of beer and peanuts Dean forgot instantly. 

He glanced over at Aziraphale who seemed to already be enjoying himself as he looked around the bar at all the people. A young woman stumbled over to the angel clearly already a few drinks in even this early in the night.

“Nice bowtie mister” she grinned, stopping in front of Aziraphale, reaching a hand out to touch said bowtie.

“Oh, well, Thankyou dear” Aziraphale said after a moment's shock, a slight blush gracing his cheeks.

“Yeah” she slurred, leaning even closer to the angel, “seexxyyy”

“Oh uh uhmm” Aziraphale all but stuttered back, not quite knowing what to do with the situation he now found himself in.

Dean took pity on his friend, stepping up to the pair and placing his hand on Aziraphale's shoulder and offering a grin to the woman.

“Sorry sister, my friend here is already taken”

“Shame” she pouted before looking up at Dean properly. Her eyes swept up and down him before she offered him a flirty smile. “How about you big boy?”

“Me!?” Dean said, pretending to act surprised before putting on an expression of regret. “I am afraid I am also unavailable. But hey, the night is still young I'm sure you will find someone”

She pouted again before shrugging her shoulders, mumbling something under her breath about all the good looking ones being gay before she waved at them and wandered off back into the crowd. Dean tried to pretend that the comment didn't make him blush but the heat in his face told a different story and he was thankful that the bar was dark enough to hide it.

“She was rather friendly,” Aziraphale said, making Dean jump a little.

Dean laughed and nodded his head in agreement before he allowed himself to properly take in the bar. It was busy but not yet packed. There was a DJ setting up his kit on a small stage nearer the back and Dean imagined the place would get rather rowdy later that night. He pulled his eyes away from the empty dance floor, trailing them over the dim booths at the back before they landed on the bar and his breath caught in his throat.

There was no way Dean would mistake him, sitting on a tall bar stool, his trench coat hanging behind him was Castiel. There was what looked like a glass of water in front of him but that was not what was making Dean breath come in ever shorter bursts. Sitting beside the angel was a very beautiful redhead. Cas seemed to be in deep conversation with her, his blue eyes trained on her as he spoke. She was sitting rather close to the angel, too close for Deans liking if he was being honest. It only got worse however as to Dean's horror she leant even closer to Cas, wrapping a thin arm around the angel and pulling him so that their shoulders were pressed together. Castiel let out a laugh and it was that that finally got Dean moving. His mind all but blank as jealousy flared sharply in his chest.

He stormed across the bar, practically pushing a random guy over as he did so. Aziraphale was close on Dean's heels and he vaguely heard the angel apologizing to the guy but Dean had tunnel vision and it was trained on the redhead's hand as she squeezed Castiel's arm.

Then he was right next to them and he was reaching out his own hand, grabbing onto Castiel's forearm and pulling him to his feet and out of the women's grip. Cas let out a small yelp, clearly surprised at being grabbed suddenly and his surprise only grew when he realized the person doing so was Dean.

“Dean!” He said, his voice not hiding how shocked he was to see the hunter there. “What are you doing!?” he asked, pulling his arm out of the hunter's grip and fixing him with an annoyed glare.

“What am  _ I  _ doing?” Dean practically gasped as he made another attempt at grabbing at the angel, managing to get hold of his sleeve. “What are you doing? I thought you were supposed to be on a case not picking up redheads in bars!”

Castiel's eyes widened at Dean, his mouth opening the shutting with a snap to form into a thin line. He thoughroughed his brows further about to explain to Dean that he was not in fact talking to random women when he was interrupted by Aziraphale.

“Crowley?” came the ivory haired angel's voice and Dean turned to see that Aziraphale was looking directly at the redhead who was still sitting at the bar.

“Crowley?” Dean repeated, having a proper look at the woman now that he was up close and could see her face.

Now that he could see her clearly there was no mistaking who it was. Yeah he now had boobs and a very slim waist but the red hair and sunglasses made it obvious that it was in fact the demon who castiel had been speaking to and not some random chick trying to pick him up. Dean instaly felt stupid. Very very stupid.

“Hello angel” Crowey said, his voice now sounding extremely femanine.

“You look lovely my dear” Aziraphhale commented, his cheeks growing pink when the demon smiled at his compliment.

“Dean” Castiel grunted, catching the hunters attention again.

Dean swallowed when he saw the annoyed look on the angel's face knowing that he had messed up with his assumption and had allowed his emotions to get the best of him. Cas took hold of the hunters wrist before pulling him away from the bar and towards the dim booths that Dean had noticed earlier. He looked over his shoulder back towards the bar to see that Aziraphale had taken Castiel's seat and the demon was busy ordering his angel a drink. 

Castiel stopped moving then and Dean practically walked into the back of him as he had definitely not been looking where he was going.

“Cas er listen-”

“No Dean,” Castiel growled and Dean swallowed, making his Adam's apple bob. “I specifically told you that I did not want you along for this hunt. Not only did you ignore that request you also accuse me of flirting with someone else”

It was at this moment that Dean realized that Cas was less annoyed at Dean actually turning up and more annoyed that Dean would think that he would do such a thing as hook up with someone else.

“I.. Im sorry cas. I just er.. I just saw her touching you and hugging you and I didnt know who she was.. I thought she was hitting on you and when I saw you laughing it just.. I just stopped thinking” Dean explained, feeling embarrassed and foolish the more he spoke.

Castiel noticed as he always did. His face softened and he tilted his head slightly, stepping closer to Dean so that the hunter could hear him better over the crowd.

“Dean, why did you come?” he asked, voice soft and Dean felt himself relax a little.

“Aziraphale wanted to sort things out with Crowley. They had a fight before you guys left” Dean answered watching as Cas nodded his head, obviously already knowing about their friend's argument. “And I er.. I wanted to see you maybe fix things with you too”

Castiel looked surprised at Dean's words and quickly reached out to take Dean's hand in his own. Dean's hand instantly closed around Castiels, not caring even a little that they were in such a public place, the feeling of contact with Cas always made his head fuzzy and his heartrate pick up, he loved it.

“Oh Dean. I am so sorry I have been acting so harshly towards you. I am afraid that my worry for you overshadowed my thoughts and I have been acting like a fool. There is nothing to fix other than me having to make up for my behaviour. Will you forgive me?”

Deans mouth gaped for a moment. He was fully prepared for an argument, expecting Cas to be angry at him and having to put up a fight to stay with him. But It was the total opposite and he found himself smiling like a goon at his angel, his grip tightening around Castiel's hand as he pulled him close and stole a kiss. Someone in the crowd wolf whistled but Dean didn't care. When they finally seperated Castiels face looked flushed and he was returning Deans stupid grin.

“There is nothing to forgive Cas. I get it. It's fine”

“Thankyou Dean. I really am sorry”

Deann hushed him, patting his face lightly and pushing his raven fringe away from his forehead.

“It's fine Cas” he repeated, grin still firmly in place. “Now why don't you buy me a beer and fill me in on the case”

“Of course Dean” Castiel smiled back.


	10. The eavesdropper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year everyone! :)

Edwin had been alive for a long time. Centuries in fact, and in all that time he had never seen someone eat as much ice cream as the lord of flies had managed to put away in that last few hours, let alone someone enjoying it so much.

He had been confused at first. Thinking that once he and Beelzebub made it to the other side they would be straight on the demon Crowley's trail, instead they had been in this ice cream parlour for at least three hours. Edwin poked at his almost melted sunday with his spoon as he looked out the window. It was starting to get dark by this point and the parlour was almost empty.

Beezlebub let out a content sigh as they pushed away their empty bowl to join the ever growing pile at the edge of the table. The woman who had greeted them when they arrived strolled over to collect the bowls and hint pleasantly that they would be closing soon. Beelzebub nodded and thanked the woman before they climbed to their feet and headed to the exit, Edwin followed his sunday forgotten.

“You did not eat your ice cream” Beelzebub commented once they were outside.

The air had developed a chill to it since they had been inside the parlour and it bit at the demon's skin as he began to stroll alongside the prince.

“I don't eat much, my Lord” Edwin explained.

“I don't either but what is it the humans say..” they paused, looking up to the greying sky in thought before they looked back at Edwin with a small smile. “When in Rome''

Edwin could not help but laugh at that. He was laughing at the whole situation if he was being honest, it was all so strange. He hardened his nerve as he looked at the prince and decided to just speak his mind.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself” he stated, causing the prince to give him a look he could not decipher before they started walking again.

“How much time do you spend in hell Edwin?” they countered and Edwin was surprised by the question.

“Uh.. Not that much my lord.. My main base is on earth.. tempting the humans''

“And when you visit hell for your orders or to give reports what kind of impression does it give you?”

Edwin was really confused now and little caught off guard. He was unsure on how to answer that question without offending the prince. But as they continued their slow stroll along the street the princes face never became angry or annoyed, it stayed passive as they eyed the people they passed with little interest.

He took a deep breath before he answered with- “It is dark, dank and severely depressing. Not to mention scary what with Hastur and all” He caught himself when he realized that he had practically insulted his boss and quickly added, “not that I am complaining he is a fair and good master” he lied.

Beezebub hummed seemingly not at all bothered by Edwins slip of the tongue. They did not speak for a little while as they walked and Edwin became increasingly nervous. Beelzebub stopped once they had hit the very center of town. There was a fountain surrounded by flowers of all sizes and colours and the prince made their way over to it, Edwin never leaving their side. Once by the edge of the fountain the prince stopped and looked down at their own reflection in the water that was illuminated by the bright lights of all the shops now that the sun had practically set.

“You are not wrong. Hell is dark and dank and I suppose a lot of demons would find it depressing and as you say scary” they looked at Edwins reflection and noticed the demon fidget under their observation. “But to me I just find it.. tedious” they looked back at themselves in the water, worrying their bottom lip between their teeth before they spoke again. “I was down there from the beginning. When the angels fell I was given the role as one of the princes of hell, a role I did not want but was unable to refuse. It was like God's one last joke at my expense. Except the joke did not end there. No. For millennia I stayed below, taking control of the damned masses, never seeing the sun above my head just dirt and blood”

Edwin dared not say a word. He had never heard the prince say so much at one time and he did not want to risk interrupting.

“Then the Apocalypse was put into action and I was able to go up top again” they continued, icy blue eyes almost clouded over with the memories. “But we all know how that ended. One trip up top just for the boy to choose humanity over his fate” They shook their head at the memory, their mouth pulling into a scowl before they caught themself and fixed their features into their usual blank expression. “Then it was back to normal. Boring, life draining normal. Then a few weeks ago, for us anyway, a very arrogant demon turned up in hell claiming to be the king of the place. His name was Crowley and he was irritating and had no respect. He was only with us for a short while but I realized something. He made me realize something”

Edwin waited for the prince to continue but soon realized that Beelzebub was now completely lost in their memories. He cleared his throat and the prince startled a little, blinking away their memories and looking over at their employee.

“What did you realise, my lord?” Edwin prompted, actually really interested in what the answer could be.

“I realized that just because I am hell royalty does not mean that I can not have a little fun”

Edwin blinked himself, generally shocked and in awe of the lord of flies response. Beelzebub saw this expression and their mouth pulled into a grin that showed their too white teeth. They were interrupted from their starting session from a crowd of over excited people. They both looked over at the same time to see the group entering a bar, as the doors swung open music drifted out onto the street.

“That looks like fun,” Beelzebub said to no one in particular before they started walking towards the building.

“A bar?” Edwin gawked as he hurried to catch up. “You want to go to a bar?”

Beelzebub hummed their response before stepping up to the door and pushing inside. Neither demon noticed the black Impala that was parked across the street in the small car park.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Inside the bar it was loud and busy. Beelzebub and Edwin made their way through the crowd and towards the back where they were lucky enough to find an empty booth where it was slightly quieter. Beelzebub looked at the little nook for a moment before shrugging their shoulders and sliding onto one on the bench seats. They rested their arms on the table and looked up at Edwin expectantly. The other demon only hesitated a moment before sliding onto the bench opposite the prince.

“The music is loud” commented Edwin as he looked over at the DJ who was loudly encouraging more people onto the dance floor.

“Mhmm, I like it” replied Beelzebub as they picked up a drinks menu and turned it over in their hand.

Edwin watched as the prince read through the drinks available then placed the menu down looking at Edwin once more.

“Err.. What would you like to drink?” he asked.

“I don't know” mumbled the prince, pouting their lips in thought before they spoke again, “What would you suggest?”

“Have you ever had an alcoholic drink?” Edwin asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

For a second he thought he may have gone too far as Beelzebubs' already cold eyes became icy. Edwin swallowed loud enough for him to be able to hear it over the bassy music. He opened his mouth to apologize but Beelzebubs eyes softened and a small almost embarrassed smile formed on their face.

“Actually no I have not, hence my asking what you suggest” they said, amusement now sparking in their eyes when they noticed Edwins shoulders slump in relief.

Edwin smiled then, leaning forward in his seat. “I'll sort you out don't worry” he assured with a wink that the prince scoffed at before he got up to head towards the bar.

He made his way slowly through the crowd, taking time to look at each face of every person around him. He had not been to a place like this since he had been given to Hastur as his apprentice. Before then he often found himself in places like this, people were always most easy to temp once they'd had a few drinks inside them. Also places like this were the best to find desperate lonely people looking for a way out of their problems that they more often than not caused for themselves.

When he was halfway across the dance floor he stopped in his tracks. Was that? No.. It can't be! He shoved his way through the rest of the crowd until he was at the edge of the dance floor and his senses were proven right (not that they were ever really wrong).

Sitting at the bar was the demon they had come here looking for. Edwin would know Crowley anywhere so his femanine form did nothing to hide who he actually was. He quickly noticed that he was not alone, sitting beside him was the angel that everyone had been talking about in hell, the one from the photo that Edwin had seen. Also there seemed to be another angel with them and shockingly enough a human!

He felt suddenly lost at what to do. Yes, he and Beelzebub had come here with the sole purpose of finding Crowley and the blade and to bring them back. When he had been with Hastur he did not feel so bad about finding Crowley as neither of them had ever really found the Duke all that scary but now that he was with the prince and the opportunity to capture Crowley was right in front of him he found himself second guessing. Crowley had once upon a time been a friend, a good friend, that was until he went against his own kind and sided with an angel. Also the demon was not alone. Edwin was not worried about the human, no, they were easy enough to deal with but the angels, well, they were another thing all together. Angels were fierce warriors and although the one that Crowley had become infatuated with looked nothing but soft the other one looked like he could take Edwins head in an instant.

He had been standing at the edge of the dance floor for several minutes and he had started to get some weird looks from the people dancing. He was still battling with what to do when he saw the human climbing to his feet then start heading straight towards him. He was speaking over his shoulder to the angel in the trenchcoat and had not yet noticed Edwin. The demon looked around hurriedly, spotting the bathrooms close by in a panicked rush he quickly ducked inside them.

It was a stupid thing to do because the moment he was inside he heard the door opening and the human walked in. Edwin ducked his head, side stepping into a stall and closing the door.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Once Dean had finished relieving himself and had washed his hand he was about to head back out to his angel and friends when his phone began to ring in his pocket. He looked around the room noticing that one of the stall doors were closed, he looked at it for a moment then shrugged, pulling out his phone and seeing Sammy's name flashing at him from the screen.

“Sammy, Hey” he answered cheerfully.

“Dean? What's going on you sound weird?” was Sam's wary reply.

Dean did not let his brother's tone of voice ruin his mood. He was almost at the point where he thought nothing could. Cas had brought him the beer he so desperately wanted and they had sat together while he filled Dean and Aziraphale in on the case. Dean had barely touched his beer, too busy buzzing with happiness at having Castiel's hand in his own and his angel smiling at him. Yes, all was good.

“I'm fine Sam. I caught up with Cas and Crowley and he and Aziraphale seem to be doing okay now” he explained, checking his hair out in the mirror.

“Are you and Cas good now?” Sam asked, the sound of papers moving in the background then high femanine voice saying “Is that Dean?”

Dean smiled at hearing Rowena's voice, woah, he really was happy.

“Hey Rowena” he said, “and yeah me and Cas are good”

Dean could almost hear the smile in Sam's voice when he said, “good. That's really good”

Oh but Dean just knew something was up otherwise why else would baby bro be calling unless he was going to bitch more at him about sending their friends home where they belonged but Dean doubted that, Sammy would wait untill he was home to start nagging about that again. So Dean let out a sigh before asking the question he was pretty sure he did not want the answer to.

“What's wrong Sam?”

“Yeah okay uh..” Sam began, obviously moving things around where he was in the library. “So Rowena did a spell to see if anything had come through other than Crowley and Aziraphale. Well looks like two more beings came through, same day just a few hours later”

Dean let out a groan, beginning to pace the bathroom now. Knowing that none of this was good news.

“Demons?” he asked finally.

“Yeah well I mean we can only assume so, seeing as Crowley said they were after him but get this that's not all”

Dean let out an even louder groan.

“Rowena said something else came through only an hour or so ago. Whatever it was caused a huge shockwave”

“Shockwave? What could that be?” Dean asked, halting his pacing.

“Well its something powerful and at first I was just as surprised as you are but then I got thinking”

“Did it hurt?”

“Shut up. Listen, remember Aziraphale said that Gabriel would be coming to see him in a few days. Well maybe he turned up early and discovered that Aziraphale was gone. Maybe that pissed him off and now he has come looking”

“Gabriel.. The Archangel Gabriel. The one who tried to kill you?!”

“Yeah that one” Sam replied sounding solemn.

“Shit” Dean breathed out, looking at his own wide eyes in the reflection of the bathroom morror.

Nothing much more was said after that. Sam had wanted to know when they would get back to the bunker but Dean had told him he would call him back wanting to get back out to his friends and warn them about what he had just heard. After hanging up he pocketed his phone and left the bathroom. 

The moment the door swung shut Edwin unlocked his cubicle and stepped out, his pale complexion almost white by this point. He had heard everything of course, even Sam's part of the conversation and the news scared him. He stared unseeing at the door and was wondering how he was going to tell Beelzebub that the being they hated most in the world was here.

“Shit”   
  
  



	11. The hunt

By the time Dean made it back to the bar he was almost shaking from adrenaline. The information he had heard from Sam swam around his head to the point where he barely even remembered walking through the crowd to get back to the bar where the other's waited. Aziraphale offered Dean a smile when he finally stopped beside them and when Castiel looked up at Dean's face he knew immediately that something was wrong.

“Dean?”

It was all the angel had to say to ask what was wrong and Dean shook his head, glancing around at all the people within close proximity. Castiel understood, jumping off the stool and taking hold of the hunters elbow to start gently leading him towards the exit. When they stepped out of the building their breaths clouded in front of them at how cold the night had actually become. Castiel did not stop gently pulling Dean until they were across the road where the music from the bar could barely be heard, seeming not to care in the slightest that they had left their friends inside, obviously confident that they would be able to look after themselves from a short time.

“What's the matter?” Castiel asked.

Across the street Aziraphale and Crowley emerged from the bar, spotting their friends and making their way over so that they all stood in a little huddle on the sidewalk. The streets were emptier now, people having reached their desired destination or already having made their way home. 

“Sam called” he began once they were all together. “We have a problem. A big fucking problem”

Aziraphale and Crowley gave each other a worried look but Castiel's gaze stayed focused on Dean the entire time, his blue eyes intense and he squeezed the hunters arm softly to urge him to continue.

“Rowena did a spell to see if she could track anything else that might have come through after you two” He said looking at the Aziraphale and Crowley before back at Castiel, “He said two beings came through a few hours after you two turned up”

“Oh dear” Aziraphale mumbled.

“Shit. It has to be Hastur and Edwin. They were there when I came through so they would have the book and it doesn't take a genius to work out how it works” Crowley said, taking Aziraphale's hand when the angel reached for his.

“That's not all though” Dean quickly added, “Rowena felt another presence come through something big enough to cause a huge shockwave. Sam thinks that it's Gabriel”

If the situation were not as serious as it was Dean probably would have laughed at the collective reactions he got from everyone at the news. Aziraphale literally gasped, bringing his hand to his mouth and everything. Crowley let out a string or curse words, each more colorful than the next then finished it off with a groan similar to the one Dean had made upon hearing the news himself. Then there was Castiel who stood stock still, his grip on the hunters elbow increasing to almost painful and his mouth pulling into such a tight line that his lips went white.

“This is all my fault” Aziraphale all but whined then, bringing his hand away from his face to begin fiddling with his waistcoat instead. “If I had just been brave enough to face my own problems none of this would be happening”

“Shush now angel” Crowley quickly countered, taking the angels fidgeting hands into his own and rubbing his thumb reassuringly over the angel's knuckles. “This isn't your fault. Hastur and Edwin were after me anyway, whether you had come through or not they would have turned up to us either way. You were afraid” Aziraphale looked away but Crowley cupped his chin pulling his face back to look at him again. “It's okay to be afraid sometimes, angel. I'm afraid like ninety percent of the time but I make it through” he laughed clearly trying to lift the mood but the brimming tears in Aziraphale's eyes told him it was not really working.

“B-but G-Gabriel” the angel stuttered.

“It doesn't matter whose fault it is or isn't” Castiel interrupted before Crowley could start talking again, “We need to get back to the bunker, regroup and come up with a plan of action”

“But what about the werewolf?” Crowley asked.

They all stayed silent for a moment, clearly Castiel had forgotten all about the case they were on when he had heard the news. Crowley was still holding onto Aziraphale hands, his thumb still working in circles.

“Well you said you're pretty certain you know where they are hiding out right?” Dean Asked Castiel, he waited for his angel to nod before he continued, “Good. Great. Then here's what we do. We go there, gank the werewolf and then be home before breakfast”

“I don't know” Castiel grated out, his voice even rougher at that moment. “You know as well as I do that a hunt seldom ever goes as smoothly as that”

“Oh come one Cas! If a hunter, two angels and a demon can't take down a werewolf then I don't even know why i'm in the business” Dean countered, a grin on his lips.

“To save people and hunt things” Castiel replied back, clearly not getting that it had been a rhetorical statement on the hunters behalve.

Dean rolled his eyes and turned to walk towards his baby, knowing that Castiel and the other's would follow.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

About twenty minutes later Dean was looking out of the Impala window at the gymnasium to the town's highschool. He squinted at the building that was dark and showed no signs of life, which the hunter thought was quite normal for the time of night.

“Are you sure it's here Cas?” he asked, not because he did not trust the angel's investigation skills but more because it seemed like a damn weird place for a werewolf to be hanging out.

“I am sure” the angel replied, following Dean's eye line to the building. “This part of the school has been closed for construction for the past two months and several students have reported strange noises coming from within”

“And it's definitely not the Librarian?” the hunter asked.

“Nope” Crowley spoke up to the hunter's surprise, the demon leaning forward from the back, hooking his arms over the back of the front seat. He was back in his male form now, having changed once they had got into the Impala. “She has an alibi, a rather saucy one at that?”

“What do you mean by that?” Aziraphale asked, looking over at the demon with suspicious eyes.

“It seems she was fequenting an exclusive Dominatrix club in the next town over, so she was not even in the area the night of the last murder” Castiel explained in a neutral tone, completely unbothered by the nature of the conversation.

“Oh, uh. Right then” Aziraphale said stiffly, his ears pink as he avoided Crowley's stare as the demon smirked at him.

Dean huffed out a small laugh before climbing out of the car and making his way around to the trunk. The other three came around to join him just as he opened it, pulling up the hidden compartment to start rifling through the contents for the correct weapons. Once he found the box that held a range of different bullets he pulled his hand gun out of his pants, emptying the chamber and refilling it with silver bullets. Crowley let out a whistle as he leant around Dean to look at what was inside the trunk and Dean had to hold back a smug grin. When his gun was fully loaded he closed the box and pulled out an angel blade holding it out to Castiel but the angel just shook his head and raised a hand. Dean gave him a raised eyebrowed look before Cas reached into his jacket pulling out the blade that he had left with Aziraphale two years earlier.

Crowley gave the blade a wide eyed look before looking at Castiel's face and the angel gave the demon an apologetic look.

“I am sorry, you dropped it when you came here, or when I hit you, I am not sure. I had forgotten to give it back to you” Castiel explained, holding the blade out to Crowley.

The demon shook his own head, actually taking a step away from Castiel's outstretched arm.

“Ngk, N-no that's alright. I only picked it up because I did not want Hastur getting his grubby hands on the thing. Beside it's yours anyway” 

“But I gave it to Aziraphale as a gift,” Castiel pressed, moving to look at the other angel instead.

“I think you are going to have better use for it” Aziraphale smiled back though his lips wobbled slightly.

Castiel stared at the other angel again before lowering his hand and returning the smile. Dean looked at Aziraphale and Crowley skeptically for a moment before he cleared his throat and stepped between Castiel and their friends.

“Look er.. You guys can wait here if you want. I mean these things can get a little messy and not to be a dick or anything but you two don't seem to be entirely up for this” the hunter said, offering his most honest stare, hoping his friends would not be offended.

The angel and demon looked at each other for a moment and if Dean wasn't mistaken he would say that the pair were able to communicate telepathically. Though being as old as they both were he would be more surprised if they couldn't.

“We will be quite alright Dean” Aziraphale said when he had broken eye contact with the demon. “Thankyou for your concern but I will have you know that I was once a soldier of heaven. This would not be my first fight” He said, not unkindly.

“Yeah Aziraphale is right” the demon joined in, wrapping an arm around his angel's shoulders. “Plus I am really interested in seeing what you're capable of”

Dean almost felt embarrassed in that moment with the idea of having an audience watching him while he did his day job. It was weird but at the same time he found he was almost excited at showing them anyway. He nodded at the pair instead of saying anything, hoping he could keep his cool persona without ruining it with stupid words. He turned to Castiel, nodding for him to lead the way and the small group were making their way across the playing field that separated them from the building.

They found the way in easily enough once Crowley had made short work of the lock on the fence that was surrounding the gymnasium, the demon just clicking his fingers and causing the lock to fall to the ground, shrugging his shoulder coolly when Dean gave him a shocked look. The door to the building opened easily enough, the builders not having bothered to lock it, thinking that their fence would do the trick of keeping people out. It grated loudly on its hinges and it caused the hunter to cringe internally at the sound, if there was a wolf inside it would definitely know they were coming now.

They stepped into a huge room that was obviously used to play games such as basketball and the like, their foot falls echoing off the tall ceiling. Castiel and Dean took in the room, both their eyes landed on the door at the far end that the hunter guessed led to the locker rooms.

“You two wait here” Dean whispered over his shoulder to his friends. He notice the indignant look on the demon's face and quickly added, “If anything tries to make a run for it you can cover the exit”

This seemed to please both angel and demon and they nodded their understanding, Crowley giving Dean a thumbs up for added measure. Dean huffed out a silent laugh through his nose before following after Castiel who had already made it halfway across the room.

With one last look over his shoulder at his friends, who were far enough away now that he would have to yell for them to hear, he stepped through the door and into the darkness beyond. With practiced ease Dean pulled out his trusty flash light, clicking it on to reveal they were in a short curridor. There were two doors, one on each side. 

“You go left, I'll go right,” Dean whispered to Cas and made a move to open the door on the right.

He almost yelped when Castiel grabbed hold of his arm, stopping him in his tracks with his angelic strength. Dean turned on him to protest but Castiel spoke before he had a chance.

"We should stick together Dean" he rumbled out.

"Wha-" he let out an impatient sigh but knew Castiel was not going to drop it so just nodded his agreement.

Pleased, Castiel released Dean's arm, taking on a defensive stance as the hunter pushed open the door. Dean was quick to recognise the room as a mini gym, the treadmill giving it away pretty obviously. Castiel stepped past Dean as the hunter ran the flash light along the wall, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

"Dean, look," Castiel's voice called through the dark.

The hunter swivelled on his toes to face the angel who was squatting further into the room. Castiel reached down, running two fingers through a pool of liquid on the floor, his fingers coming away red. Blood. Dean swallowed through the dryness in his mouth, they were definitely on the right track. 

There was a noise from across the hall then, a scraping scurrying sound that resonated from behind the other closed door. Dean did not hesitate, cocking his gun and hurrying towards the sound on light feet. He faintly heard Cas calling after him in a hushed whisper but instinct had kicked in so he did not stop.

He was across the hall in seconds with a quick try of the handle he found the door locked and wasted no time kicking it in. He saw the Werewolf straight away, it froze as the door swung on its hinges and Dean pulled the trigger the second his eyes locked on it. Just as the gun unloaded its bullet he was swept off his feet by a second werewolf that tackled him from his left. He saw in the corner of his eye as the first werewolf fled the room, not even looking back for the second one. He let out a grunt when he hit the ground, his head hit the floor jarring his teeth together before the werewolf's fist collided with his right eye. He yelled out, pulling his arm free from where it was trapped between them and managing to bring his elbow up and hit the creature in the nose. It wailed in fury as its nose exploded into a bloody mess giving Dean just enough time to get the gun between him and the werewolf. He unloaded three bullets into it's chest and it collapsed Dead weight on top of him.

Castiel was there then, pulling the body off of Dean with ease and scowling down at the hunter. Dean smiled up at him sheepishly, raising his hand for help up, after a beat the angel took it, the scowl never leaving his features. 

"I handled it!" He said defensively before Castiel could begin to lecture him. "Did you get the other one?"

Castiel's brows pulled together. "Other one?" He asked.

Dean was about to turn the tables on Cas then and start to lecture him when they both heard a commotion coming from the main room of the building. They did not need long to figure out that it was their friends who were shouting. They were moving instantly, knocking into each other as they pushed through the doorway and ran down the small corridor back out into the room they had begun in.

They could see Aziraphale and Crowley standing with their backs to them. Crowley seemed to be bent over at the middle and for a horror filled moment Dean thought he was hurt but as they got closer the sound of Crowley's laughter became clear.

"Oh dear.." they heard Aziraphale say once they were within hearing distance. "Dear please stop laughing, it isn't funny I panicked"

"You two okay?" Dean asked, making the angel start as they turned to look at the hunter.

Dean could see that Crowley was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes and he was having trouble standing up straight. Dean looked at Aziraphale with a questioning look and the angel just looked wary and a little embarrassed.

"Did the werewolf come this way?" Castiel asked, only sparing Crowley a glance, choosing to speak to the other being who seemed at least able to form words.

"I-it did.." Aziraphale said, his mouth became a wobbly line when Crowley blurted in with, "oh it came alright. Came right at us but Aziraphale dealt with it" then he laughed again and Castiel was now joining the other angel in frowning at him.

"You did?" Dean asked, feeling impressed even though Aziraphale was clearly stronger than him.

The angel nodded somewhat hesitantly and moved to the side so that the hunter could see what the pair had been looking at when they had first arrived. What Dean saw threw him for a loop because instead of a lifeless werewolf body there sat a large stuffed wolf toy, beaded eyes and all.

"Wha.. where is it?" He asked, unable to remove his eyes from the toy.

"That  _ is  _ it" Crowley wheezed, wiping at his eyes and Aziraphale tutted.

"You turned it into a soft toy?" Castiel asked, stepping up beside Dean to have a closer look.

Dean glanced at Cas and was a little surprised to see the angel had a look of muted amusement on his face. Aziraphale on the other hand looked damn right mortified, his face bright red.

"I.. I panicked when I saw it coming at us" he explained. "It seemed to be heading straight for Crowley and I wanted to make it so that it could cause us no harm.. or well anyone harm for that matter"

Castiel and Dean looked at one another once the angel was done and Dean could not help the smile that broke his shocked features.

"Well damn Aziraphale! I should have you on hunts more often" he laughed heartily, clapping the angel on the shoulder.

"You.. You are impressed?" Aziraphale asked quietly, clearly not believing the hunter.

"Hell yeah!" Dean replied back, poking at the toy with his foot. "Never seen something like this before!"

Aziraphale looked over at Castiel and the other angel shrugged with a knowing smile and Aziraphale relaxed somewhat at that, even smiling himself.

"It will stay like that?" Dean asked and when the angel nodded he laughed again and picked it up so it sat under his arm. "Present for the kid then"

Castiel rolled his eyes but there was no real annoyance there. Within a few minutes Crowley and Castiel were heading back to deal with the body of the other werewolf, the demon certain that he could deal with it without them having to dig any holes which left Dean and Aziraphale to head back out to the Impala. Dean had a grin on his face the entire time at how easy the hunt had gone and how fun it had actually ended up being having his friends along for the ride. Aziraphale and Crowley were real handy and the four of them had made a good team. He threw the stuffed wolf into the back seat. Their other problems, for now at least, feeling like less of a pressure.


	12. The offer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

Beezlzebub paced the room for what must have been the two hundredth time. They stopped by the window, perring out briefly before they looked at the clock. Edwin had left about half an hour earlier to set up warding and make sure they had not been followed. They had gotten a motel room on the outskirts of town, without the use of money of course, the prince was enjoying being able to use their magic more freely even if it was just for trivial things, not that they could not use it back home, it was just that it felt more exhilarating knowing they could do what they wanted without the watchful eye of the leagues of hell. 

The motel room wasn't exactly pleasant or even entirely clean for that matter but either way it was an upgrade from hell for certain.

Beelzebub was actually having a good time back at the bar. That was until Edwin had returned with a frightened look on his face and an insistence that they should leave right that instance. The prince had argued of course, not used to having someone be so abrupt when speaking to them but one word from the demon and any argument the prince would have made was forgotten and they were on their feet and out back entrance in seconds. Once they were out in the alley the prince had grabbed hold of Edwins arm, giving the demon a good shake.

“Gabriel?!” They questioned their voice shrill and eyes wide. “What about him? Why would you bring him up?”

“M-My l-lord le- let- me ex- explain” Edwin stuttered out, his teeth clashing together as he was shook.

Beelzebub released the demon then, causing Edwin to stumble and catch himself against the wall to the bar. They looked at him a moment waiting for him to straighten and compose himself.

Edwin told Beezlebub about what had happened. About seeing Crowley at the bar with the two angels and the human. He related how he had hid in the bathroom stall when the human had been heading his way, an embarrassed blush spreading over his face. He told them about the phone call and then told them the last thing the prince had expected and definitely the last thing they had wanted to hear.. Gabriel was here.

They knew straight away what must have brought the Archangel here. Aziraphale, the angel that had helped cause all the trouble in the first place. He must have noticed the principality was missing and gone looking. Probably seen the mess that Hastur and Edwin had no doubtedly made of the angels bookshop. 

They turned their back on Edwin once he had finished explaining. Needing a moment to hide their face and the emotions that they knew would be on it. Their relationship with the Archangel was disatoriouse, to be truthful they would not even call it a relationship of any kind, just an unwanted work associate they sometimes had to tolerate for short periods of time. Gabriel had always looked down on the prince and was quick to point out who was better out of the two of them. It drove Beelzebub crazy and took all their effort not to just end him. 

Once they had managed to get over the initial shock of the Archangel's presence they thought of the fact that Crowley had been so close, that he was not alone. Beelzebub assumed that the other angel that Edwin had seen was Castiel and they remembered how many of their demons he had killed when he had been in hell, how he had managed to actually strike the prince.

“The human you saw was a hunter,” Beelzebub said, their back still turned on Edwin.

“A what?” the demon questioned.

Beelzebub turned back around now, knowing that their face was back to a neutral expression. They almost smirked though when they saw how wide Edwins eye had become.

“I have met him before, I think. If it's the same one that you saw” they explained after clearing their throat to hide their amusement. “He almost killed Hastur once actually”

“What?! A human? Almost killed Duke Hastur?!” Edwin exclaimed loudly, bursting into a fit of laughter when the prince nodded but cutting it off pretty quickly when he realized the serious look on Beelzebubs face.

“As amusing as that is, it does not make our current situation any better,” Beelzebub explained, “Not only is Heaven's biggest arsehole here but there is also a hunter with what sounds like some kind of operation into tracking us”. They began to walk down the alley slowly, eyes distant as they processed the new information. “We need to find somewhere safe” they stopped walking suddenly and turned to look at Edwin.

The demon had understood and had found the motel that Beelzebub now found themself pacing. They managed to do another fifty paces of the room before Edwin came in through the door, shutting it behind him and dropping the key on the side table. He then proceeded to lock it, tracing his fingers along the peeling paint work of the door and mumbling an incantation under his breath, sealing it better than any cheap mortal lock could.

“We’re all clear,” he said when the prince's eyes landed on him for a report.

The prince let out a long breath through their nose, nodding their head towards Edwin who had taken off his jacket and was now fiddling with the old TV that the room provided.

“Are you okay?” Edwin asked when after about five minutes the prince had still not spoken or even moved from the spot they had stopped in when he had first gotten back.

Beelzebub shot them a glare, making it clear that they did not appreciate Edwin asking such a question and the demon knew then that anything slightly close to personal was not going to be welcome. He looked back at the TV not really seeing what was on the screen but not wanting to stare at the prince. Another thirty second went by before he looked over again, a hesitant smile on his mouth. 

“Sorry you never got your drink” He grinned.

The prince scoffed, and crossed their arms over their chest, turning their head indignantly. They heard Edwin chuckle and when they looked back the demon was looking at the screen again. They laughed silently through their nose as they watched the demon, they were finding that they actually enjoyed his company even allowing him to be more informal to them then anyone had dared for a very long time, anyone in hell anyway.

They would have liked to come back with a witty reply but never managed so much as opening their mouths when the electricity in the room died and plunged the pair into darkness. The prince blinked and Edwin let out a surprised little squeak when a flash of lightning seemed to strike the center of the room, then the lights were back on and beelzebub was greeted with Gabriels smug smile.

“Archangel Gabriel” Edwin said breathily, never having been so close to anything like Gabriel before, feeling his skin crawl at the holy presence that was the Archangel, jumping off the sofa and shrinking behind the prince.

Gabriel did not even spare Edwin a glance however, his purple eyes never leaving those of Beelzebubs. His smile widened until it was nothing more than a snidey grin and Beelzebub shuddered with the need to claw it off his face.

“Beez!” he chimed the pet name he had given to the prince knowing full well how much they hated it. “I came to visit you but you were not home. I was more than surprised to learn that you had left your little pit, even more surprised that you would go somewhere as adventurous as another universe”

“What do you want Gabriel?" Beelzebub snarled, not even attempting to engage in Gabriels irritating small talk and not wanting to either.

“Oh come now” Gabriel cooed in a voice that was nothing short of condescending. “I was told work brought you here. It is the same with me. I thought that being in a world like this is so unseemly you must want to get back to your hole as soon as possible. Maybe you and I could work together. Like old times”

Beelzebub let out a disgusted noise, stepping away from the hand that the Archangel had extended out to them, obviously in the hopes that the prince would shake it and agree to his offer. The Archangel was mistaken if he actually thought that was going to happen, thought the prince, sneering at him as Gabriel just continued to smile, his white teeth twinkling at them causing them to snarl at him further.

“Why in all that is heaven and earth and even the hell below would I want to work with you?!?” they all but yelled, enjoying the disgruntled look that Gabriel shot them at their tone. 

Edwin had slunk further back into the room now, almost crouching down between the two queen beds that sat unused. He could feel the power seeping off of the two beings that seemed to take up the entire room as they stared each other down. Both not wanting to back down even in the slightest, the princes hackled raised and the Archangels brows drawn together.

“We have worked together before. I don't know why you are acting so surprised by the notion,” Gabriel said, almost childishly, crossing his arms over his chest and straightening his back to make himself seem taller as he stared down at the prince.

“I had no choice back then. But here. Now. I can do whatever I want and working alongside you is definitely not on my to do list” beelzebub snapped back, mirroring the Archangels stance, the look on their face defiant.

For a split second Gabriel almost looked hurt, his shoulders sagging and his eyes almost looking sad. Then it was replaced with obvious rage, him not believing that something as lowly as Beelzebub would pass up on a chance to work with someone like him, to even dare speak to him in such a manner. Disrespectful. He was about to retaliate, to tell the prince exactly what it was he thought of them when something even better crossed his mind and he smirked unkindly at them.

“Fine” He said slowly, fixing his stance as he looked at them. “I don't need your help anyway, it was a pity offer to any end. I will get what I came here for” he made a show of turning his back on them, taking a couple of steps towards the door before stopping to look back over his shoulder, a wicked glint in his eyes. “And if I am to find that demon of yours with Aziraphale I might as well deal with him while I'm here. Where we can do what we want as you say”

Beelzebub took an angry step towards him, sending a wave of furious energy towards the Archangel that only grew when Gabriel's smile widened.

“You will not touch Crowley. He belongs to hell. You have no right to intervene, he is mine to deal with” they snarled.

Gabriel just shook his head with a chuckle that made the prince's blood boil. “You better find him first then. It's almost like a race” he turned a bit more to smile at the prince, “I have always liked a bit of friendly competition. Though we both know that I always win don't we?”

Beelzebub let out a shriek of anger then, causing the TV to explode and the glass in the windows to shatter. With another mocking laugh Gabriel was gone leaving Beelzebub and a terrified Edwin alone. The prince stood rooted to the spot, physically shaking from frustration and rage and hating how Gabriel had managed to get under their skin so easily.

Edwin stood up from where he had been hiding behind the bed, the covers now littered with shattered glass from the windows. He was not embarrassed to admit that he was shaking from head to foot, not only had that been completely terrifying but the pure amount of power that the two of them had released in that short standoff was enough to make any lesser creature crumple and Edwin was the tiniest bit proud that he was still able to stand now that it was over. 

With hesitant steps he made his way over to the prince, his boots crunching on bits of television as he moved. 

“My lord” He said softly, afraid of startling them.

He watched as Beelzeubs shoulders dropped from their rigid position and the prince let out a ragged breath. Edwin stayed silent while the prince turned and gave him what the demon could only call a tired look.

“Are you able to track Crowley?” they asked, their voice sounding incredibly steady for how angry they actually looked.

“N-No my lord” he sputtered to answer, “I have not been able to pick up his trail since we left the bar. I think the angel or maybe the human has blocked them from view somehow”

He could tell that the prince was not happy at all by this news and he shifted uneasily from foot to foot as he waited for them to speak again. Beezlebub was frowning, their teeth gritted tight as their mind raced to think of a way to get to Crowley before Gabriel did. 

They were both pulled from the moment by the shocked gasp from a motel member of staff who had obviously heard the commotion and had come to investigate. Beelzebub allowed themselves to wonder how many people would have made a noise complaint before an idea appeared in their mind.

Just as the staff member was about to pull out their phone, presumably to call for more help after seeing the mess, the prince lifted their hand and clicked their fingers freezing the human in place. Edwin gave the prince a questioning look.

“Bring them inside and clean up the mess" They instructed, gesturing towards the frozen human and the broken glass, “If you are unable to track them then we will just have to bring them to us”   
  



	13. The gift

The drive back to the bunker was mainly quiet. Crowley and Aziraphale sat in the back seat with the used to be werewolf plushie tucked between them. It hadn't taken long for the demon to fall asleep, using the toy as a makeshift pillow. Aziraphale had been quiet too, staring out the window at the darkness. In the end even the angel had leant back in his seat with his eyes closed and if Dean didn't know better he would say he was sleeping too.

Dean hummed along to one of his Led Zeppelin tapes, having turned it down to almost inaudible as to not wake the sleeping demon. Castiel looked over at Dean but the hunter did not seem to notice, his mind relaying the events of the night and his eyes trained on the road.

What Castiel did not realize is that Dean  _ did _ have an eye on him. The hunter watched out of the corner of his eye as Cas turned his head as if to speak, then looked away only to repeat the process several times. On the fifth or sixth time Dean couldn't help himself and he turned his head at the same time the angel did, causing them to lock eyes for a moment. Castiel looked a little embarrassed at having been caught and Dean let out a silent chuckle through his nose before looking back at the road.

"What is it?" He asked finally when Cas still said nothing. "Just say whatever it is that's eating you"

“You did it again,” Castiel mumbled after another minute of silence.

“Did what?” Dean asked, genuinely not understanding what the angel was talking about.

“I said we should stick together and you agreed,” Castiel explained, his voice monotone but his eyes showing the emotions underneath. “Then the moment you heard that werewolf you ran towards it and gave me no chance to catch up in time”

Oh. That. Dean had kind of expected this. He had thought Cas would have said something straight away but he supposed with the surprise of Aziraphale taking care of the second wolf and him and Crowley dealing with the body of the first one he had not had a chance to.

“It's okay Cas,” He said back, trying to sound upbeat even though he could see the angel bristling beside him. “I was only a room away and I dealt with it quickly. It wasn't a problem. Nothing I haven't dealt with before”

“That's not the point Dean” Castiel grated out, His voice deeper with his frustration, causing the hunters stomach to twist. “You always run towards danger without a second thought”

“It's my job Cas”

“But  _ I _ am your partner. We are supposed to work  _ together _ ” Cas shot back quickly.

Dean took a breath as he sped the Impala up, wanting to be home and somewhere where they could have this conversation privately. He glanced at the rear view mirror, seeing that Crowley was still asleep and Aziraphale still had his eyes closed. The fair haired angel was probably listening but he was polite enough to at least pretend he wasn't, which Dean appreciated.

“So what? You're upset because I never saved any for you? I thought you were going to deal with the other one but I guess it slipped past yah” Dean grinned, trying to make light of the conversation because this serious shit always made him uncomfortable.

Castiel's face took on the look of thunder as he twisted in his seat to face the hunter more. Dean gulped.

“It had nothing to do with you ‘saving some’ for me” Cas growled out, hand lifting to do his signature air quotes which Dean would usually laugh at but not this time. “It's to do with you putting yourself in danger when it is completely unnecessary!”

Dean cringed slightly as Castiel's voice became louder the longer he spoke and he had no doubt now that both their friends were awake, he chose not to take a look to check. 

“Damn it Cas!” Dean said back his own voice, raising in a defensive manner. “The job is full of dangers and things that can kill us but that's just the job! You have always known what I am, a hunter. If it bothers you so much then I don't know why you insisted on getting with me”

Dean regretted the words the second he said them. His stomach dropped when Castiel looked like he had been struck in the face, his cheeks becoming uncharacteristically red as he bit onto his lower lip. It was an unfair thing to say and Dean knew it. Castiel had never insisted on anything, they had both wanted this, to be together. Because they had loved each other for the longest of times but had been too foolish to see it in the other. 

Castiel stared at him for a moment more before he turned his face back to the road, pulling his hands into his lap in an anxious manner and Dean hated that he had caused that.

“I was worried,” Castiel said after a while, his voice barely above a whisper. “I just want you to be safe”

“We are never safe Cas, you know that,” Dean replied, his own voice quiet now as he kept his eyes fixed on the road.

“I could protect you if you would just let me” was Castiel's answer to that.

They were not far from the bunker now, the Impala falling silent after Castiel's last words. Dean not knowing how to reply and honestly feeling like the world's biggest tool. 

Great, thought Dean as he turned onto the dirt road that led to their secret home, Just made up and now you've gone and fucked it up again. Way to go Dean.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Jack jumped up from his seat at one of the library tables when he heard the door to the bunker open. Running the short distance into the war room just as Dean and Castiel appeared at the top of the stairs. He raised his hand in a hello when Dean's gaze landed on him and the hunter returned the wave a little half heartedly.

“Hey kid,” Dean greeted once they had made it down the stairs. “Where's Sam?”

“He is in the library with Rowena” Jack replied happily, lifting his hand to greet Crowley and Aziraphale too once they had joined them. “Was the hunt successful? Will you tell me all about it?”

Dean could not help but smile at the young man's enthusiasm, reaching out to ruffle his hair.

“Yeah shall do. Just gotta catch up with Sammy first” explained the hunter as he stepped past Jack, heading for the library.

Castiel gave Jacks shoulder a squeeze as he followed Dean, leaving Jack standing facing Aziraphale and Crowley. Aziraphale smiled at the boy then looked at Crowley who was holding the large stuffed toy in his arms and staring at Jack like he might explode. The angel tutted and nudged the demon who let out a ‘NGH’ and looked at Aziraphale with wide eyes. When Aziraphale realized Crowley wasn't getting the hint he cleared his throat and straightened his bow tie, taking a step closer to the nephilim.

“Jack, this is Crowley, my beloved” he introduced, reaching out to pull Crowley closer. “He was unable to introduce himself earlier and he is sorry for his rudeness. Aren't you dear?”

“Er uhm ngh y-yeah. Sorry mate” Crowley stuttered only causing Aziraphale to huff at his choice of words.

If Crowlley was being honest the idea of Jack actually terrified him. He looked all sweet and innocent on the outside but Crowley knew he was a powerhouse on the inside, a powerhouse created by Satan no less. Jack seemed oblivious to the demon's terror, taking his queue from his earlier introduction to Azirapahle he smiled widely and offered his hand for the demon to shake.

“Err” was all Crowey managed as he looked at the hand. He floundered for a second not quite sure of what to do when he remembered the toy he was holding. He pushed it forward towards Jack effectively pushing his hand back at the same time. “This is for you” he squeeked, plastering a wobbly smile on his face.

Jack blinked, obviously surprised but after a moment he took the toy, holding it at arm's length as he looked at it. Crowley held his breath as the nephilims brows narrowed as he studied the toy wolf's face. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, the scowl was replaced with a brilliant smile and he pulled the toy to his chest giving it a tight squeeze.

“Thankyou!” he beamed, looking at both the beings in front of him. “I love it!”

Aziraphale let out a pleased chuckled and just bowed his head a little to show it was no problem whatsoever. Crowley let out a breath he had not even realised he had been holding reconsidering his first impression of the boy. Maybe he wasn't a powerhouse of evil after all, nothing evil could look so joyus over something too sickly sweet.

“You should come and meet Rowena” Jack chirped as he turned towards the library, the toy still held to his chest. “She is a real witch and she is so excited to meet you both”

Azirapahel and Crowley shared a look, the angel shaking his head in amusement at the demon's reaction to Jack. Crowley just poked his tongue out at his lover which only made the angel chuckle before they both followed after Jack.

“Hey” Sam said when they had taken the two steps up to the library.

Both angel and demon said their hellos before Jack excitedly made his way over to Sam and practically shoved the toy in his face. “Look what they got me” he said, voice full of glee.

Sam leant back in his seat away from the toy, taking a moment to look at it before he looked over at Dean with a raised eyebrow. Dean had sat down at the table by now and had his feet up, a smirk forming on his mouth at his brother's reaction.

“It's a funny story,” Dean said but did not finish when he saw the look of embarrassment on Aziraphale's face. “But I will tell you later”

“Are you not going to introduce me then?” Rowena spoke from where she was seated on the edge of the table, eyeing the angel and demon.

Dean did not get a chance to answer before Castiel stepped forward to do it himself, the hunter shooting him a private glare that held no real malice.

“Rowena, this is Azirapahle and Crowley. Our friends from another world” He said, fondness in his features as he said the words.

Aziraphale wasted no time stepping forwards and taking the hand that Rowena held out for him, he bowed his head slightly. “It's nice to meet you,” he said before releasing her hand.

Crowley stepped forward giving Rowena a once over that the witch did not miss but chose not to comment on. He took her hand in his own but instead of shaking it he lent down and kissed the back of it making Rowena chuckle.

“Pleasure Rowena” He grinned, “a great name and a beautiful dress I must say” 

“Why thank you” she grinned in response loving the compliments and the way that Aziraphale almost bristled at the demon's behaviour. 

Crowley looked over at his angel and gave him a wink, leaning down to kiss away the annoyed look that had snuck onto his round face. The angel batted him away but the kiss had the desired effect and he was now smiling.

“Well aren't you two just sickenly sweet” Rowena all but purred, causing Aziraphales cheeks to brighten in their pinkness. "Crowley" she said his name slowly as if testing it on her tongue "I had a son that went by that name or similar really"

"You mean you are the king of hell's mother!?" Gaped Aziraphale unable to hide the shock on his face.

She nodded, a mischievous smirk on her lips. Crowley looked at her then as if realising what she had said more clearly.

"What do you mean _ had _ a son?" He asked, watching as the smirk disappeared from her lips and noticing the way the brothers shifted uneasily in their seats.

"He is no longer with us" she explained, lifting her chin as if in defiance but Aziraphale could feel the pain that radiated from her in the words. 

"I.. I am sorry" Aziraphale said softly then and Rowena's eyes softened as if it was the first time anyone had said that to her and the Angel was left wondering if it actually was.

"A story for another time perhaps?" Castiel spoke up then, sensing the tension in the room.

Rowena just nodded, turning her face away from everyone and wiping at her cheek as if dabbing at invisible tears. Crowley shuffled on his feet for a few moments before taking a chance to change the subject slightly.

“So I heard that you did a spell to track any more otherworldly visitors?” Crowley asked, wrapping an arm around his fidgeting angel as he spoke. “I also heard you felt something big. If Sam is right and it is Gabriel, we have problem”

“I agree, we do have a problem” Sam spoke up, stroking the toy that Jack still held outstretched to him. “From what I met of said Archangel he isn't exactly the talk first act later type and he has obviously come for you Aziraphale”

Aziraphale nodded, his expression positively full of dread. “I am sorry again for all of this” he mumbled, squirming in his demon's arms.

“It's okay bud,” Dean spoke from his seat. “We just need a plan. We need to trap him and send him back ASAP”

“Before he causes too much trouble” Sam added, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table now that Jack had moved away from him.

“I er.. I'm not doubting your impressive monster hunting skills but Gabe isn't exactly a werewolf. He is the top Archangel and I hate to say it but he is strong and a well tested warrior. How do you plan on capturing him?” Crowley asked, looking to each of their faces in question.

Sam and Dean shared a look, a knowing glint in their eyes and the demon was impatient to be aware of what it meant.

“Oh don't you worry about that pet” Rowena said sweetly, scrunching her nose in a smile when she looked at the angel and demon. “These boys have dealt with much bigger things than your wee Archangel, isn't that right boys?” she looked over her shoulder at the brothers and Castiel and they nodded back at her. “And with young Jack here and my help of course I think we are more than enough to deal with one angel”

Azirapahel and Crowley looked at one another. The angel wanted to believe the witch's words but his first hand experience with the Archangel's wrath stopped him from doing so. Crowley squeezed him closer, telling the angel to give their friends a chance, to trust in them like they had trusted in them once and the angel nodded up at his lover with a sniffle before looking back at Rowena. 

“I do not doubt any of your skills dear” He said, his voice sounding steadier now.

“Great,” Sam said, pulling his laptop closer to himself and tapping the spacebar to wake it up. “We need a plan then, any ideas?”

Castiel stood and listened as Dean and the others began to bounce ideas off of each other, some seemed quite doable others were a little far fetched but either way the angel found himself smiling slightly. It was nice to have everyone here and a bonus for the other angel and demon to be present too. Castiel had honestly thought he would never see them again and to have them here while helping with this, even if technically they had caused it by coming over in the first place was a treat in the angels book.

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and excused himself from the library to walk out into the hall to answer it where it was a little more quiet, seeing as the noise level in the library had definitely grown with everyone speaking at once. He pulled the phone from his pocket, frowning when he recognised the number of the police station to the town where they had just left.

“Hello?”

“Agent Swift?”

“Yes?”

“Ah, I'm glad to have gotten hold of you. I got your message about having dealt with things?”

“Yes, As I explained, your officers were right, it was a loose wolf. Myself and animal control took care of it so you should not see any more problems regarding this” Castiel explained, a pleased smile on his lips at having handled this part all on his own.

“Er.. Well actually we have another missing person”

“What?!” Castiel question, any happiness he had felt a moment ago disappearing.

The officer explained that there had been a commotion on the outskirts of town at a cheap motel. One of the motel staff had been reported missing after going to investigate a noise complaint, when the motel manager had gone to see where they were they found the room they had been sent to in tatters and their member of staff nowhere to be seen. What was more there were paw prints all over the inside of the room.

Castiel frowned. There should be no paw prints. If they had missed a werewolf, which the angel surely doubted then why would there be animal tracks. You didn't get wolves around these parts, that had been what had drawn the angel to the case in the first place. After the officer had finished explaining and Castiel had told him he would get back to him he hung up the phone. 

He stood in the hall for a few moments listening to excited commotion from the library and readying himself for the moment that he would walk back in there and add this turn of events to their ever growing mountain of problems.


	14. The surprise

* * *

Castiel had gone back into the library, if not a little reluctantly, and told the others about the phone call he had just received. Dean was pretty quick to make clear that he had only seen two werewolves inside the building and that after looking over the gymnasium before leaving was certain that there was no sign of a third.

“It almost seems as if someone is  _ trying  _ to get noticed” Sam mused when Castiel had told him about the paw prints. “Like they want us to come looking”

“Maybe they do” Crowley spoke up from his perch at the edge of the table, Aziraphale sitting on a chair betweens the demons long legs. “If I know Hastur and unfortunately I do then he will want to get this over with as soon as possible"

"So he is trying to lure you out and capture you" Castiel mused out loud, Crowley nodding to confirm his words.

There was another moment of silence as everyone just sort of looked at one another, then Sam was pushing back from the table and rising from his chair. All eyes were on him when he cleared his throat.

“Then I guess we just capture them first then” he said, confidence in his voice and his shoulders straight.

“You think we could do that?” Asked Aziraphale from his seat.

“Sure we can” Dean piped up, pulling his feet from the table and leaning forward in his chair. “Hastur doesnt know you're not alone right? I mean sure, he might know about Aziraphale but he doesn't know about us and we have all the things we need to capture some fugly demons.” He said, a grin spread across his face until he saw Crowley looking at him and he added, “no offence”

“None taken” Crowley smirked.

“Can I come?” Jack asked then, a hopeful look in his eyes.

Castiel stepped forward before the brothers could answer. “No Jack, I want you to stay here. You can do some research and find the exact location of Crowley's followers” he rumbled out.

“But” Jack began to argue, the hope he had in his eyes vanishing.

“I think Cas is right.” Sam agreed, looking over at the young man. “I need you to take my place at my laptop for this one”

“Your coming?” Dean asked his brother and Sam nodded before heading towards the library exit, “Give me five minutes” Sam said over his shoulder as he disappeared out the door. 

Crowley was on his feet now along with Azirapahle who had grabbed onto the demon's wrist to stop him from sauntering off. “Are you going?” the angel asked, eye wide and pleading.

“Yes angel, I have to go. They are after me, remember? So it's my problem” Crowley explained, lifting his hand to cup the angels' worried looking face.

“B-but exactly, they are after you so it would be silly to walk straight into their trap wouldn't it?” He pleaded.

Crowley's brow softened as he lightly caressed the angels cheeks, he glanced around the room, spotting Dean and Castiel standing in one corner, probably talking strategy before he looked back at his lover.

“Angel, I know Hastur and Edwin like the back of my hand. I have worked with both of them for centuries and I know all the tricks they might have up their sleeves. Don't you think I should go along with the boys and help keep them safe?” 

“I-I..” Aziraphale gulped to try and clear the lump that had formed in his throat. “I suppose you are correct. Let me come with you love”

“No angel” Crowley said softly. He smiled smally when he saw the frown grace the angel's brow. “I think you should stay here. I won't be able to concentrate knowing you are there. Hastur has wanted to get his hands on you for years. I don't want to risk that” Crowley spotted Jack out of the corner of his yellow eye, the young man sat at the table in front of Sam's laptop but instead of his usual happy innocence he looked damn right miserable. “Besides, maybe you can help the kid? You have always been the best at raising peoples spirits''

Aziraphale hesitantly nodded then, just as Sam made it back to the library, jacket now in place and handgun in his pants. The angel let out a strangled noise before pulling the demon into a chaste kiss. Sam cleared his throat making sure to look anywhere but at the couple while Rowena just watched openly, cooing at the affectionate display.

Then Crowley was pulling away, his face red and his eyes dreamy and Aziraphale looked somewhat smug. With a few last minute checks to make sure they had everything they needed and a few hex bags handed over from the witch Sam, Dean, Castiel and Crowley were ready to go.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

About half an hour after the others had left Aziraphale found himself frowning down at the screen to Dean's laptop having not the slightest clue on how to get out of the webpage he had found himself on. The gong chimed again from the infuriating machine and a picture of a scarcely dressed asian lady smiled back at him from the screen. 

On the other side of the tabel Rowena chuckled under her breath as she watched the steadily flustering angel. Aziraphale lets out a tut and closed the laptop with a defeated sigh. It was at that moment he realized the witch was watching him, he offered her a sheepish smile before pushing the laptop away as if it might open itself and force the contents of the screen onto him again.

“Having trouble there?” She smiled, before a look similar to pity was on her face. “I myself have no skill when it comes to modern technology, my skills lay in other, more arkane areas”

Aziraphale let out a hum of agreement as he stared at the closed laptop before he looked up to watch as Rowena's hands swept above the map that she had laid out in front of her on the large reading table.

“Dean left me instructions,” The angel mumbled after a moment of quiet. “I followed them to the browser but I am unable to get off of that unseemly page that he must have been looking at before”

“His tastes have always been a bit terrible” Rowena said chuckling again before she looked more thoughtful, a sly smile upon her lips. “Though I would say over the last two years his tastes have got marginally better”

“You mean Castiel?” Aziraphale asked.

“Mmhmm. They had been dancing around each other for far longer than I had known the two of them, I must say when I heard they were finally together I was relieved” She explained, smiling as she spoke of the two men that the angel called his friends.

“I am also glad they have made their feelings more known to each other. Though it seems their communication with each other could still use some work” He mused, resting his chin in his hand.

“Communication between those two is almost non existent” Rowena commented before looking back down at her map.

Aziraphale watched her for a few more minutes, after a while realizing that she was going to say no more on the subject, fully immersed back into her spell. He let out a sigh, preparing to reach for the laptop again when a small groan pulled his attention over to Jack who was sitting at the other tabel, Sam's laptop seated on the table in front of him. The young man looked a little annoyed and he had not really said much since he was told to stay behind and Aziraphale had felt how disappointed Jack had been at the request.

The angel climbed to his feet, getting a small glance from Rowena as he walked over to the table Jack sat at. He pulled out the chair opposite him and sat himself down. Jack looked up when the angel was seated and Aziraphale offered him a friendly smile. 

“I bet you are not having as much trouble with that thing as I was with Deans” he said conversationally.

Jack looked back down at the screen then back at Aziraphale, allowing himself a small smile. 

"I am waiting for the security footage from the local towns to load. It sometimes takes a little while" Jack explained and Aziraphale nodded generally interested.

A few more minutes passed, the only sound being that of the laptop and the mumbled chanting coming from Rowena. Aziraphale and Jack just sort of looked at one another. It did not bother the principality, angels were known for their staring though he had made an effort to get out of the habit since being on earth and rarely did it anymore.

“Are you okay Jack?” He asked then, not because the silence was uncomfortable but because he genuinely wanted to make sure the young man was.

“I am,” Jack said through a sigh. “I guess I am a little frustrated about being put on the sidelines”

“Perhaps they make you stay behind because they are afraid for your safety” Aziraphale offered.

“More like they are afraid for everyone elses safety” Jack mumbed and Aziraphale would have missed it if his hearing wasn't as good as it was. Jack looked up at the angel then as if realizing what he had said, his cheeks growing pink with embarrassment, “I mean.. I know they worry about me. They are my family, it's just.. In the past I have hurt people before.. without meaning to and I think they are worried that I will do it again”

Aziraphale hummed and nodded as he listened to what Jack was saying and found himself smiling at how much the nephilim really did love Sam Dean and Castiel and clearly just wanted them to trust him so that he could help in situations like these.

“You are very strong Jack” Azrapahale said, catching and holding his eyes. “Power like yours is rare. I have never felt anything like it and I have been alive for thousands of years. I can only imagine how difficult it is to control. Especially when you are so young”

“How did you know how old I am?” Jack asked, a little suspicious.

“Because when Dean and Castiel were with us two years ago they did not mention you once. and judging by your aura, as powerful as it is it is still new” the angel explained and Jack relaxed somewhat, the smile returning to his face. “But in time you will learn Jack and you will be able to show them that they can trust you because I am sure they really want to”

“You think?”

“I know”

Jack chuckled lightly, his shoulders shaking with the effort and Azirapahle was happy to feel the frustration and sadness slowly leaving the boy. Dean had explained some about Jack to Aziraphale when they had been heading to the town to find Castiel and Crowley and the angel had found it fascinating. Dean had confirmed that Lucifer was just as terrible in this universe as he was in the angel's own and it had surprised the angel that Jack had been so full of goodness. Then again.. the fact that he was being brought up by the Winchesters and Castiel, the men and angel who saved the world countless times, it really wasn't all that surprising that Jack had turned out the way he had and the angel had no doubt that Jack would be just as wonderful in the future. He may even outgrow his three fathers expectations and be even more than they could ever have imagined. The thought made Aziraphale smile as he watched Jack look back at the laptop once more.

Jack studied the screen for a moment, obviously whatever he had been waiting for was now ready and it had his full attention. Azirapahale allowed himself to look over at the Dean's closed laptop on the other table and was contemplating giving it another try when Jack spoke again.

“I think I have found something,” he said, claiming the angels full attention again.

Aziraphale was on his feet instantly, making his way to Jack's side of the table so he could look over his shoulder at what was on the screen. Jack tapped away at the buttons for a few seconds before grainy security footage took up the screen.

“This is the day that you and Crowley came through. A few hours later though” Jack explained

The angel nodded, squinting as he looked at what was on the screen. It seemed to be footage from behind a store of some kind, the screen showing what the angel could only call an alley way. Nothing much seemed to happen for a few minutes other than a rat scurrying across the wet gravel, then there was a flash that caused the camra to cut out for a second. When the footage righted itself, what was on the screen caused the angel's blood to run cold.

“I thought Hastur would look different,” Jack commented with clear disappointment in his voice.

Azirapahles pulse had become so loud he had barely heard the boy and Jack asked if he was okay when the angel just continued staring at the screen long after the two beings on it had walked out of the camera's range.

“That.. is not Hastur” the angel managed, his voice cracking as he spoke. He turned to Jack then, desperation in his eyes and voice. “Jack get Dean on the phone. Now!”

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

When the four of them had arrived at the motel the police officer had called them too Sam and Dean wasted no time jumping out of the Impala and heading over to the part of the building that had been taped off and was crawling with police officers. Castiel and Crowley hung back but stayed within earshot of what was being said between the brothers and the officer. Crowey found himself smirking when he saw them pull out their fake badges with confidence and almost laughed when the officer became flustered.

“It's like watching fish in water,” Crowley commented.

Castiel nodded, knowing that the demon meant that the brothers were naturals at this and tried to ignore the slight pang of jealousy that he felt in his chest at knowing that Crowley had not given him the same compliment.

“They shouldn't take long” Castiel mumbled, his eyes tracing the brothers as they were led into the motel room with busted out windows. “They will just check for anything that a civilian would not notice”

“The police aren't exactly civilians” Crowley pointed out.

“They are when it comes to the supernatural” Castiel replied back dryly.

Crowley couldn't argue with that logic. He stood beside Castiel for a few more moments before a prickle at the back of his neck caused him to jerk around sharply. His yellow eyes swept across the parking lot then along the bland looking building. Movement to his left caused him to look over just in time to see something slip through a door that was labeled, basement level/maintenance.

He reached out without looking away from the door, his hand knocking against Castiel's arm causing the angel to turn and look at him.

“What's the matter?” Castiel asked, following the demons gaze to the door.

“Over there” was all Crowley said before he began to walk towards it.

Castiel objected to him walking off alone but was relieved when Sam and Dean chose that moment to make their way back over to him. The brothers did not miss Castiel pulling out his angel blade and quickly making his way after the demon. The brothers shared a quick look before they were following too, once they reached the door that Crowey had slipped into they both pulled out their guns, moving slowly and cautiously into the room beyond.

It was dimly lit inside the room, the walls lined with shelves full of different cleaning implements and products. Crowley had waited for the others to join him in the room before he nodded his head towards the stairs that led down into what the brothers could only assume was the basement. The four of them made their way down, the way getting steadily darker as they moved until Sam and Dean were forced to pull out their flashlights to see where they were going.

“Crowley. This place looks empty, what's going on?” Sam asked.

Crowley turned to explain what he thought he had seen when both Sam and Dean's feet left the ground and they were both flying backwards, hitting the wall with enough force to knock them unconscious. Castiel turned towards where Dean had hit, the angel calling his lover's name before he crumpled to the floor, clutching his stomach and letting out a pained whine. Dean's phone began to ring in his pocket but Crowley barely noticed, his eyes on the dark spot in the corner of the room.

The demon's horror only grew when two figures stepped out, illuminated barely by the light of the torches that now lay on the floor where the brothers had dropped them.

“No way” was all Crowley managed to say before he was standing face to face with Beelzebub, prince of hell and lord of flies.

“Hello Crowley” 


	15. The stand-off

Dean's eyes opened groggily. He could hear his phone vibrating in his pocket but his movements felt sluggish and slowed. He could also hear Crowley speaking along with another person whose voice he recognized but his pounding head was refusing to connect the dots. As his vision cleared the first thing he saw was his brother who was laying a few feet away unconscious. He called out Sam's name but got no response and it was at that moment he heard the pained groans of his angel. Forcing himself up onto his elbow he turned his head to see Castiel down on his knees, clutching his stomach with his eyes squeezed closed.

“Cas?” Dean called to him but all he got back was another moan of pain that caused his stomach to twist into worry.

His gun lay a few feet to his left. He pulled himself into a sitting position, his whole body screaming in protest painfully at the movement and that's when he allowed himself to look in the direction of Crowley.

Dean knew straight away who the demon was talking to. Although they definitely looked different there was no mistaking the prince of hell for who they were. Dean also noticed Edwin but didn't pay him much attention, deciding quickly that he must be the other demon that Crowley had mentioned several times since his arrival.

Beelzebubs cold eyes settled on the hunter then, noticing he was awake and moving. Dean shoved forwards quickly, reaching for his gun, his fingertips just brushing the cold metal when the prince flicked their wrist pinning him back against the wall. Dean couldn't move a muscle, his teeth bared as he tried to pull out of the supernatural hold.

“What have you done to Cas you son of a bitch?!” He demanded.

“Just treating him to a little pain to make sure he doesn't pull any of the tricks he did in hell” Beelzebub explained, their voice calm. "This is almost like deja vu"

Crowley felt as though he was frozen in place as he listened to Dean and the prince talk. He had been fully prepared to deal with Hastur, knowing all the Duke's tricks and knowing with Sam, Dean and Castiel's help he wouldn't have been a problem. Beelzebub on the other hand was someone he did not want to piss off. He had in the past, many times but he had still been one of the princes own so he had gotten away with it. Now though, he still remembered the words the prince had spoken to Dean when they had escaped hell. Saying that if he was ever to return they would kill him, he wondered briefly if that was still the case here.

Edwin stood to Beelzebubs side looking somewhat guilty and Crowley understood that. They had worked together many times over the millennia and he would even have gone as far as calling Edwin a friend, the demon being different from the others and them having a lot of things in common, their hatred for hell and what they are being the biggest ones. But Crowley doubted that their friendship still stood.

Castiel let out a stuttering cough and it pulled Crowley out of his frozen state, his back straightening as he fixed Beelzebub with an angry glare.

“Stop this Beelzebub!” He ordered and the prince was looking at him instantly. “Release him!”

Beelzebub seemed to consider his words for a moment before they shook their head. “I don't think so. Not yet. We need to talk first”

“Talk?” Crowley repeated dumbly, confused.

“Yes. Talk” They repeated, smirking.

Dean was still ruthlessly struggling against their hold, growling and groaning as he did so and the prince shook their head in wonder at the strength they could feel pushing back at their magic. What a curious human Dean was indeed.

“Okay” Crowley said slowly, raising his hand in what he hoped was a calming manner. “Just let Cas go. We can talk just please stop hurting him”

Beelzebub shared a glance with Edwin, the demon giving the prince a shrug as if to say why not? With a sigh that sounded very much forced the prince flicked their wrist again and Castiel was falling forward onto his hands and knees, gulping desperately for air that he did not technically need.

“Cas?!” Dean called, his eyes wide as he watched the angel.

“I am okay Dean” Castiel replied though in Crowley's opinion he looked anything but.

"Sam" Dean managed, still fighting against the hold, shaking his head towards his unmoving brother.

Castiel made a move to crawl to the younger Winchester but found he was still unable to move. He growled in frustration as he looked over at the prince who just smiled back at him.

"Now, now none of that. You all stay put" they said, squeezing their hand into a fist causing the angel to slump down further.

"Okay ngk.. Okay" Crowley stuttered the words, forcing his eyes away from his suffering friend. "You want to talk or do you just want to take me back with you?"

"Crowley. No!" Castiel rumbled out, his voice shakier than Crowley had ever heard it before.

Crowley ignored Castiel's protest taking a step closer to Beelzebub dismissing the twist it caused his stomach in doing so.

"That's what you came here for wasn't it? To get me. And to get this?" Crowley clicked his fingers and the angel blade appeared in his hand.

The prince and Edwin took a step back at the sight of the blade, obviously wary of it as they should be. Crowley twisted it around so that the handle of it pointed at them.

"Take it" he urged, stretching his arm towards them. "And take me. Just please let my friends go. They have nothing to do with any of this" 

"Friends?" Beelzebub asked, unbelieving.

They looked over at the trench coated angel and the two humans and wrinkled their nose. These beings were his friends? This just got stranger and stranger, the prince thought.

"Where's the other angel?" Beelzebub asked then, causing Crowley's heart to skip a beat at the knowledge of them knowing that Aziraphale was in this universe also.

"Why does that matter?!" He said back, trying with everything he had to keep his fear from his voice.

"Because Gabriel is looking for him" Edwin spoke for the first time getting himself a glare from the prince. "He's looking for you too"

"M.. me? What why?!"

"To kill you" Beelzebub said plainly, sounding almost bored with the situation. "He has come to take Aziraphale home and killing you is a bonus for him"

"So what?" Dean growled from the wall. "You came here to do it first?" Beelzebub seemed surprised by the hunters accusation, blinking as they looked over at him. "That's what you said you'd do right? What? Got impatient on waiting for him and came looking instead?"

"That's not.." Beelzebub started then stopped as if catching themselves. They turned back to Crowley reaching out for the blade. 

Just as their fingers were about to make contact with the chrome surface Crowley pulled it away. 

"What are you doing?!" They snapped, pulling their arm back quickly.

"I need to make sure Sam is okay first," Crowley said, holding the blade to his chest.

Beelzebub gave out a small noise of frustration before they looked over at Edwin, nodding their head in Sam's direction. Edwin took the hint, stepping around Crowley cautiously. Their eyes met as he passed and Edwin offered him an apologetic look, unable to keep eye contact for more than a few seconds. I'm sorry, that look said and Crowley bit onto the inside of his cheek once the other demon had passed. He briefly wished that things had worked out differently between the two of them. He wandered that if he had gone to Edwin when the apocalypse had started and told him about his plan would he have understood? Would he have helped? Crowley pushed the thoughts away, this was not the time to mourn for a friendship lost when his actual friends were in danger.

Edwin glanced down at Castiel as he moved past him, the angel watching his every move, even pulling at the hold that was on him the closer the demon got to Sam's unmoving body.

“Easy tiger!” Edwin said in a mocking tone, “I'm just making sure he's still breathing”

With that said the demon knelt down sticking his fingers under Sam's nose. A few seconds passed with his crouching over Sam's body before he turned his head back towards the prince and nodded his head to say that the human was still breathing. Crowley let out a breath of relief at that, hearing Dean and Castiel do the same.

Just as Edwin was about to stand and head back over to his place beside Beelzebub, Sam's hand shot out grabbing a handful of the demon's shirt and yanking him down. Edwin let out a surprised scream as Sam's arm came up to wrap around the demon's throat. Edwins scream was cut off with a squawk as Sam's strong arm crushed his windpipe. The demon felt the coolness of a blade press into the side of his neck just under his jaw before feeling the hunters warm breath brush against his ear.

“Don't move” Sam ordered in an even voice, he was now on his knees the demons back pressed to his chest, his arm still around his throat. “This is a demon killing blade and I will not hesitate to use it”

Beelzebub let out a noise of anger, lunging at Crowley then, reaching for the angel blade. Crowley stepped back just in time, twisting the blade back around in his hand and swinging his arm towards the advancing prince, the blade sliced into their hand, causing black blood to bubble to the surface and spill out of Beelzebubs palm. The prince screamed in pain pulling their hand back. With the prince's concentration spent, Dean and Castiel were able to move again. Dean was on his feet and over to his angel in the blink of an eye pulling him to his feet. 

Crowley made the mistake of looking over at his friends, able to enjoy about thirty seconds of happiness for his friends as he watched Dean cup Castiel's face, checking for injuries that were not there before he felt hands around his own throat. Beelzebub was furious, their eyes wide and glowing and their nostrils flaring as they clutched at the demon's throat, thumbs crushing his windpipe and black blood trickling down his skin from the prince's injury.

Dean and Castiel were moving then, making their way to help Crowley but one look from Beelzebub had them dropping to their knees again. Crowley tried to speak, he was even going to beg but he could get no words out as the prince's grip only tightened, his vision slowly fading, he had a moment to wonder if this was it.

Then. There was a flurry of white feathers, the breeze from their movement ruffling the demon's hair as he hung almost loosely from Beelzebubs grip. Aziraphale was between them then, knocking the prince back with his shoulder, effectively knocking the air from their lungs at the same time. Beelzebub stumbled backwards letting out an 'oof' and releasing their grip on Crowley. He would have hit the ground but Aziraphale was fast and in a second he had caught the demon and hoisted him up into his arms so that he was holding him bridal style.

Dean and Castiel fell forward, Beelzebubs hold off them once more. If Dean was surprised at Aziraphale he was even more surprised to see that the angel was not alone, no, also stood in the room was Jack and Rowena. The nephilim reached into his pocket pulling out a pair of enchanted handcuffs, giving the prince no time to right themselves he leapt forward, Beelzebub raised their arms in a defensive manner but all it achieved was making Jacks job easier, with a click the cuffs where in place. The prince screamed again, pure frustration and rage, the cuffs barely holding them, they took a step towards Jack but Rowena was prepared, she cried out an incantation, rooting the prince in place.

“Angel?” Crowley mumbled from within Aziraphale's arms. “How? You.. you found us? you flew here?”

Aziraphale did not respond at first, instead keeping his blue eyes fixed on the prince of hell. Once he was satisfied that Jack and Rowenas efforts had worked he looked down at the demon in his arms and offered him a warm reassuring smile filled to the brim with love and adoration.

“Jack found the footage of them coming here” he explained, gently rocking Crowley in his arms, the demon would be embarrassed by the gesture if he was not so damn happy to see the angel. “I tried to call but when there was no answer I feared the worst”

“Luckily I was able to locate the location just as he was about to go into panic” Rowena added, looking rather smug as she said so. “Unsurprisingly it was with you a lot. He picked us up and flew us here in an instant. I think it has ruined my hair”

Behind them Castiel and Dean had made it back to their feet, the angel instantly making his way over to Sam once he had shared a few reassuring touches with Dean. Edwin gulped when Castiel stopped in front of him and as the angel reached out for him the demon quickly raised his hands in a scared motion.

“I'm not doing anything” He squeeked.

Castiel looked at Sam and the hunter nodded that he was alright to hold him. It did not matter however as Jack quickly made his way over to them, handing over another pair of cuffs which the angel took with a thankyou and clicked them into place around the demon's wrists without hesitation. Edwin did not even put up a fight, seeing that they had managed to stop the prince in their path there was no hope in hell for him to get away.

“Man, am I happy to see you kid,” Dean said, a smile on his face as he ruffled Jack's hair when he was within reach.

Jack positively beamed from the gesture, his face in a toothy smile as he soaked up the compliments.

Even Sam was smiling then, his head hurt like hell and he was pretty sure he had a concussion but with the massive turn of events and adrenaline still pumping through his veins he could not help himself. Then the two hunters, angel and nephilim were looking over to where the prince was bound, their chest heaving as they glared over at Aziraphale where he still stood cradling Crowley.

Dean's face turned into something darker then as he strode over to the angel and Demon, taking the angel blade from Crowley's loose grip and turning on the prince. Without any thought in the matter other than wanting rid of the creature that had almost murdered his friend and hurt his angel in front of his eyes, he raised the blade up in a striking motion, ready to bring it down into the prince's chest.

A scream from Edwin forced his arm to stop though, the tip of the blade mere millimeters from Beelzebubs rib cage.

“Stop! Please. Please don't” he begged, trying to pull out of Sam's grip. 

Dean looked over at the struggling demon as Sam pulled him back to his chest roughly then his green eyes swept back to the prince, surprised to see their eyes closed as if accepting their fate at the hands of the hunter. Their icy blue eyes opened slightly and they almost looked disappointed that Dean had not carried the blade through and ended them.

“Why should I?!” Dean asked gruffly, his eyes catching with the princes, causing his blood to run cold at their stare. 

“Because we came here to help you, you idiots!” Edwin all but yelled, waving his arms around in exasperation.

“What?!” Sam and Dean asked at the same time.

“Gabriel came to us asking if we would team up with him. When we said no he said he would find the angel on his own and while doing so kill Crowley” He explained, almost tripping over his own words, hoping that he sounded truthful enough for them to believe him. “Beelzebub is trying to protect you!” He was speaking to Crowley now, giving up on the humans and their disbelieving looks.

“W-What?!” Crowley stuttered, wriggling in his angles arms.

Aziraphale got the hint and put the demon down, though his arms remained outstretched, ready to catch Crowley as he swayed unsteadily on his feet. With his angel ready to catch him Crowley turned to look at Beelzebub who still had their eyes locked with Deans. 

“You were trying to protect him?” Aziraphale asked, his own voice unsure.

Beelzebub looked over at Crowley but said nothing; the demon was not sure if it was the prince's pride or stubbornness that stopped them from doing so. 

“Yes!” Edwin answered for them, his orange eyes wide and pleading.

“Then why hurt us?” Castiel aked, still angry that Dean and Sam had been harmed by this being.

“Habit I suppose” was the prince's reply, their voice monotone and their features neutral.

Dean stood where he was, blade still aimed at the prince's heart. Beelzebub regarded Dean, tilting their head in a manner that reminded the hunter of Castiel. “Go on,” they urged in a whisper so only Dean could hear. “I won't try to stop you. Do it!” The last words were said through gritted teeth, they leant forward as much as the witches spell would allow, causing the blade to push into their chest, the sharp point cutting easily through the fabric and poking into the skin enough to cause a trickle of black blood to be released. 

Dean held his place for a moment, staring down at the shorter being before letting out a long breath and pulling the blade away. The prince breathed out through their nose and smiled at the hunter and Dean had no idea what that smile meant.

“So we are on the same side?” Jack enquired, seeming to be the calmest of all of them.

“I suppose we are..” said Aziraphale though he himself was not one hundred percent sure.

“Then can you let us go?” Edwin asked, raising his cuffed hands in Castiel's direction.

Castiel looked at the demon then up to Sam. The hunter raised a brow but shook his head, pushing the demon forward and into Castiel's grip.

“Not yet. We take you back to the bunker first. We have to make sure you aren't playing us” Sam said then, collecting his gun and flashlight for the floor where he had dropped them. He let out a small huff when he saw the glass to said flashlight cracked.

“”Bunker?” Edwin repeated, looking to Sam's face then yelping loudly when Castiel began dragging him towards the stairs.

“Yeah. Bunker” Dean growled, before he grabbed hold of the prince's cuffs giving them the same treatment.

They found the missing motel worker in a cupboard at the back of the basement, unconscious but unharmed. Castiel pulled them out to the center of the basement so that they would be easier to find, planning to leave an anonymous tip to their location once they were far enough away from the motel.

Rowena began to walk towards the stares, pushing in front of the others as she did so.

“Well whatever we are doing I am going in the car” she said as she started her way up the steps. “One flying session is enough for me for a lifetime”


	16. The dungeon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. I hope you are all safe and well :)
> 
> I also hope that you enjoy this chapter

This world is full of chaos. Beasts and creatures that have climbed out of the pit score its surface and slaughter the humans left, right and center. If Gabriel had the parts for it, it would make his stomach churn at the pure sight of it. For hours now he had been flying across the United States, searching for Aziraphale and his demonic companion but he has found nothing.

He was starting to wonder if they were even in the country any more. The only thing that made Gabriel certain that they were still here was the fact that he could still sense Beelzebub and as much as they had their differences he trusted in their ability to track their own kind. 

With one mighty flap of his mauve tinted wings he landed in a field on the outskirts of Kansas. The impact of his dress shoes hitting the dry soil causing it to burst up and create a crater where he stood. He straightened and let out a deep sigh. He was still angry. Angry that Aziraphale had decided to run away when heaven was considering letting him back in. What was wrong with that angel? did he really not want another chance? Not that Gabriel wanted to give it to him, in fact he had almost been tempted to just leave him in this pain filled world. Go back home and make sure he could never get back through. After all if the principality was so quick to run here with his tail between his legs then why not make it so he can stay here for good? It made perfect sense to the Archangel but unfortunately that was not his orders. When one gets a direct order from God herself you tend to do as you are told, not that Gabriel ever disobeyed anyway.

He was angry for another reason too. He lifted his head skyward, closing his eyes and sending tendrils of his magic out into the world, seeking out the other object of his constant frustration. When his magic brushed against the dark force that was Beelzebub he pulled it back quickly, not wanting the prince to know he was keeping tabs on them. How dare they dismiss his offer so freely! who do they actually think they were? Yes, they may be royalty downstairs but in the grand scheme of things it was nothing but a formality. A way to keep the demonic hordes in line, or what at least resemble some kind of order. 

He had offered an olive branch to the lord of flies and all they had done was trample on it. He snarled silently, his top lip quirking up to reveal pearly white teeth. They would pay for their insolence. Once he had caught up to Aziraphale, killed his disgusting lover and dragged him back home kicking and screaming he vowed that he would make sure there was no way for the prince to return home. No, they can stay here in this filthy world that suited them to well. It was about time they had a new prince anyway. Maybe that demon Hastur, he seemed to cower quite nicely under Gabriels gaze and the Archangel thought that's just how it should be.

He was forced out of his line of thought when he sensed something approaching. Even from a great distance he could tell what it was before he even looked. He turned slowly to see the angel walking across the field towards him. It stopped about a dozen yards away regarding him with wide eyes.

“Gabriel..” It breathed out, clasping its hands together in front of its chest.

The angel looked close to tears and for a moment Gabriel was a little taken back by it. He studied them more closely. The angel was inside a woman. How strange. Did angels make a habit of possessing people in this world? It all just seemed so backwards to the Archangel. The angel seemed to grow uncomfortable under Gabriel's purple stare, then after a moment of just looking at each other the angel was suddenly taking a step back, their brows thoroughed and their stance that of a scared animal.

“You.. You are not Gabriel” It forced out, its voice full of fear and confusion.

Gabriel let out a laugh that held no humour, turning fully to face the frightened angel. “Of course I am!” He sneered, almost enjoying the way the angel trembled.

“B-But.. Gabriel is.. Gabriel is dead!” They stuttered though their voice had become smoother nearer the end, gaining more resolve. As if they were realizing that the angel in front of them was an imposter.

Gabriel let out a disbelieving chuckle, taking a step towards the angel. To his surprise the angel straightened and an angel blade fell from their sleeve into their waiting hand. They gripped the blade tight, raising it in a defensive manner, and bending their knees in anticipation for an attack. Gabriel laughed again, loud and obnoxious.

“Do not be foolish,” He said, only sparing the blade a glance before locking eyes with them again, “You will die if we fight, is that what you want?”

The angel said nothing and Gabriel took another step in their direction; they took another back, Each step the Archangel made the angel matched until they hand practically circled each other.

“Look at you” he sneered, allowing his eyes to look underneath the surface of the vessel they wore, to the damaged creature underneath. This angel's wings were burnt and tattered beyond repair, just like those of Castiels. The angel still had power, but it was frayed at the edges. “Are you all like this? Broken little birds”

“Silence imposter!” The angel spat back, clearly offended by his words. “I do not know who you are but for the memory of Archangel Gabriel and for the sake of my brothers and sisters you will not be leaving this place” 

“Oh really?” Gabriel stopped moving then, turning fully to face them, a wicked smile on his mouth, “Lets see you try then.”

The angel was eerily silent when they lunged at Gabriel, sweeping the blade down in a speed that the human eye would have had trouble following, Gabriel was taken a little by surprise and the first swipe came very close to his left cheek, he had side stepped in time though and after that they entered into an almost dance. The angel swinging and flying at him with praciced ease but the Archangel sidestepping and ducking as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Then, growing bored, Gabriel reached out after the angel had made a downwards swipe with their weapon, grabbing onto their wrist and with one hand crushing the bones within. The angel screamed out in pain and Gabriel smirked down at them as they fell to their knees, their broken wrist still in his grasp.

“Is that really all you have? I expected more after my run in with Castiel” He jeered down at them in a mocking tone, squeezing the wrist again and enjoying the crunchy sound it made.

The angel's eyes seemed to flare again at the mention of Castiel's name and before Gabriel could react the angel was pushing off the ground, grabbing the fallen blade with their undamaged arm and embedding it in the Archangel's shoulder. Brilliant white light erupted from the wound, causing Gabriel to howl in unexpected pain and release his grip on the angel. He stumbled backwards, breathing heavily through his teeth, his hand hovering over the part of his shoulder where the blade was still embedded.

The other angel had stumbled away a few paces, clutching their wrist but never taking their eyes off of Gabriel. “You met with the traitor Castiel!” they accused, working their grace into their broken bones to put them back together again. “Duma will have to hear about this!!”

Gabriel let out a blood curdling growl which caused the angel to freeze their efforts of healing themselves as they watched him with fear widened eyes. The Archangel wrapped his free hand around the blade, pulling it slowly from his shoulder. There was no blood on the blade as it was pulled loose but the light still streamed from the puncture wound it left behind, causing the other angel to squint in his direction. Gabriel dropped the blade to the floor and covered his wound with his hand, closing his eyes as he allowed his magic to heal. He had not been injured like this in centuries and the pain did nothing to calm him ever growing anger. When he moved his hand away the wound was gone and all the other angel could do was gulp when his purple eye landed on them again.

Unarmed, with their blade laying at Gabriel's feet, the other angel took several stepped back, jumping when a bolt of lightening flew into Gabriel's hands seemingly from nowhere, when the lightning was gone the Archangel was left looking good as new but that was not what caught the angels terrified attention, no, it was the long sword that Gabriel now held, complete with sparks of electricity that ran across it surface.

“Who is Duma?” he ordered, causing the earth around them to shake.

The angel panicked. It was not left with many options, if they answered this imposter's questions and by some miracle he allowed them to live, then Dumah would just end them when they returned home for giving up secrets only heaven should know. If they tried to stand their ground and fight they had no doubt that this creature with the power of an Archangel would take their heads in seconds. So they took the third option, run.

Gabriel rolled his eyes when the angel turned on him and started sprinting back towards the road and the vehicle that he could see in the distance. The angel made it about ten yards away before the Archangel appeared in front of them, Sword in hand and smirk on his face. They made a scared noise, turning to escape on the left but Gabriel was quicker. In seconds he was grabbing their collar and spinning them around, with unimaginable strength he had a hand on their shoulder and was pushing them down to their knees. 

“Answer the question!” he demanded, bringing the sword edge up to dig into their throat.

“I. I can't tell you” they cried, actually cried, Gabriel was actually shocked when he saw the tears falling down their cheeks, “i-if I.. I tell you they will take my head!”

Gabriel laughed, throwing his head back as the angel watched from their knees their whole body shaking, then abruptly his laughter stopped and he was looking down at them, face like thunder. He leaned down until his face was barely an inch away from the trembling angel.

“If you do not tell me,” He started through gritted teeth, his hot breath ghosting their face. “The  _ I  _ will take your head”

The angel let out a pathetic noise but did not speak. Gabriel let out a long breath through his nose then straightened, lifting the sword above his head and preparing to do just as he had promised. 

“WAIT!” the angel cried desperately, bringing their hands up in a begging motion, “PLEASE WAIT!”

Gabriel halted his movements, looking down at them expectantly.

“I cannot tell you” they began, watching the anger flare in the Archangels eyes and finished with, “But I can take you to them”

Gabriel stayed still for a moment, then with a smile lowered the sword and ran his finger through the angel's hair, “Perfect” he purred out and the angel whimpered.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Aziraphale had flown himself and Crowley back to the buner with Jack leaving the rest of their group to squeeze into the Impala. Edwin had practically cried when they had taken him around to the back of the car and opened the trunk, the demon had instantly spotted the devils trap painted to the trunks roof and had ruthlessly started struggling in Castiel's grip. Castiel had no trouble pushing the demon forward until he fell into the trunk, Edwin let out one more strangle 'please’ before the angel was slamming the trunk shut.

“Calm down” he growled through the shut trunk door, “There is no room for you in the car”

Edwin let out one last sad noise before falling silent and the angel was hoping he was not getting up to anything inside. In the end he did not open to check, confident that the cuffs and the devil trap should stop him from doing so.

Dean had taken his rightful seat behind the steering wheel with Sam in shotgun, leaving Castiel and Rowena to sit on either side of the prince in the back seat. It was a relatively awkward trip back, no one saying much as not wanting to give anything away to the prince that they were being led to believe was on their side. Even Rowena was quiet which Castiel found the most unnerving.

Before long they had arrived back at the bunker and Dean was guiding the Impala down the secret road that led into the bunkers garage. Aziraphale was waiting for them in the garage, he was alone and Dean could tell he had been standing there for a while, his plump hands playing with the bottom of his waistcoat. When the Impala was brought to a stop Rowena wasted no time jumping out and quickly heading inside, clearly having enough of being so close to their prisoners.

“Where are the other two?” Castiel asked, once he had opened his own door and climbed out.

“They are in the kitchen. Jack is fixing Crowley a drink for his shaky nerves” Azirapahle explained, nodding to Sam and Dean as they also exited the Impala. 

Castiel nodded before turning and reaching into the backseat, grabbing hold of the handcuffs that were around Beelzebubs wrists and pulling them out rather uncerimonaly. The prince did not even make a noise at the rough treatment instead deciding to fix their gaze on Aziraphale. The angel gulped but showed no sign of his discomfort on the outside, forcing himself to keep eye contact with the prince. Beelzebubs lips quirked up slightly at the corner almost as if they were impressed that the angel had not averted their gaze.

Meanwhile Sam had made his way around to the trunk, opening and blinking down at the sight inside. Edwin had curled in on himself and had obviously been crying the entire journey back. When he turned his head to look up at Sam his eyes were red and puffy and his bottom lip was bleeding as if he had been chewing on it. Sam found himself staring at the black trickle that ran down the demon's chin until Edwin started to squirm under the hunter's gaze. His orange eyes met Sams and the hunter felt instantly uncomfortable.

“You er.. You gonna get me outta here handsome or do I have to beg” Edwin said, his voice shaking but a smile on his torn lips.

“Uhm..” Sam said, the uncomfortable feeling only grew as the demon smiled up at him.

He shot his brother a glare as Dean openly giggled at the effect the demons words had on Sam.

With huff the younger Winchester reached into the trunk, grabbing hold of Edwins scruff and pulling him out as if he weighed nothing.

“Oooh” Edwin squeaked as he was lifted into the air, then dumped roughly onto his feet. “Strong and handsome” He preened, reaching out and running a cuffed hand up Sam's arms and not stopping until his palm rested on the hunter's toned chest. “I wonder what else you are hiding under all this flannel”

Sam wrinkled his nose and shoved the demon back and away from himself. “Shut up!” he snarled at Edwin, who only seemed to shudder under his harsh tone. He shoved the demon again until Dean had to reach out and grab him, turning them towards the entrance to the bunker. “You too” Sam snapped at Dean who was still grinning like an idiot.

Dean just laughed again before he began to lead the demon, following Castiel who was pushing the prince along in front of him. They made their way quickly though the bunker, dumping Edwin into a spare bedroom that had been fitted with devil traps, the only piece of furniture left in the room was a chair and Dean dumped Edwin down into it with little care, leaving the room before the demon found anything else clever to say. 

Castiel had continued on until he had reached the interrogation room or the dungeon as the brothers liked to call it, making quick work of moving the shelves out of the way and shoving Beelzebub forward into the room. The prince turned to stare passively at Castiel, the angel returned the stare for a few moments before turning away, pulling the shelves back into place and leaving the room, making sure the door was locked securely before walking away.

Once both prisoners/possible allies were secured the other's all met back up in the kitchen where Crowley sat at the table, a glass of whiskey clutched in his hands and Azirapahle sitting beside him a reassuring hand on his shoulder blades. A moment's silence passed before Dean finally spoke.

“Now what?” he asked, making his way to the fridge to collect a few beers.

“We have to make sure we can trust them” Sam answered, catching the beer that Dean threw to him. 

“I find it hard to believe we can trust them,” Castiel added, taking the beer that Dean offered him as the hunter came to stand beside him, allowing his shoulder to lean against the angels and Castiel had to fight the smile that the hunter's weight brought to his lips.

“I do also” Aziraphale said, “though I truly believe that if their plan were to kill Crowley they would have done so instantly”

Dean and Castiel nodded their agreement to this statement, the hunter opening his beer and began to chug down the content.

“Maybe I should go talk to them” Crowley spoke up then, causing Dean to choke on his beer.

Sam shot his brother a disgusted look as beer dripped from Dean's chin onto the floor before rolling his eyes and looking over at Crowley, clear concern in his eyes. “Are you sure that is such a good idea? I mean they must be really pissed at you right about now”

Crowley looked at Sam offering him a warm smile. “I am probably the only one they will speak with anyway. No offence but they hate angels and there is no way they will speak to a human..” Crowley explained then seeing The disgruntled look on Dean's face he added, “no offence again.”

“None taken” The older Winchester grumbled back but Crowley didn't believe it.

The demon brought his glass to his lips, downing the contents and placing it back on the table and standing from his seat. Aziraphale stood too but Crowley just shook his head before placing a gentle kiss on the angels cheek. 

“Stay here angel. I have to do this alone” he explained quietly and Aziraphale nodded though his eyes were afraid.

“I will wait outside” Sam offered then, speaking to Aziraphale and the angel nodded thankfully.

With that said Dean and Castiel stepped out of the demon's way as he walked out into the hall followed closely by Sam. Crowley took deep breaths as they made their way to the interrogation room. When they stopped at the door he looked up at Sam and could see the worry in the hunters eyes.

“Don't worry Sam. I will be fine” He said, though as the hunter unlocked the door and the demon stepped inside there was no denying the fear that thrummed through his veins. 


	17. The conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)

Once Crowley and Sam had left the room and Dean was satisfied that Jack and Aziraphale would be alright he discreetly reached out to touch Castiel's hand. The angel still held his beer, though he had only taken one or two mouthfuls and looked over at Dean the second the hunters fingers made contact with the skin of his hand. When their eyes met Dean tilted his head in a motion that meant 'follow me' and then quietly and quickly stepped out of the kitchen. Castiel glanced over at the others, Jack and Aziraphale sat at the table, when he was sure neither of them were looking at him he placed his still almost full beer down on the counter then stepped backwards out of the room to follow Dean.

Dean was already down the hall and Castiel caught a glimpse of him as he disappeared around a corner, clearly heading for the hall that held the sleeping quarters. Castiel hastened to catch up so much so that when Rowena stepped out of one of the bunkers many bathrooms the angel practically walked straight into her. She made a surprised noise as she bounced off of the angels chest falling backwards. Luckily Castiel was fast and managed to grab onto her arm before she fell too far, pulling her small form up with ease.

“Where are you going in such a hurry?” She asked once she was back up on her feet, her hands finding their way into her hair to try and fix it after her almost tumble.

“I.. I er” He began, looking past her up the halll where Dean had disappeared.

Rowena followed the angels eye line, turning around to look behind her at the empty hall. When she turned back to him she had a lude smirk on her crimson lips and she took a step towards the angel, placing a hand on his chest. To Castiel's credit he stood stock still, his blue eyes now on her face.

“Are you going to fix things with Dean?” she asked in a more quiet voice.

He opened his mouth to answer but closed it, choosing to just nod instead. She returned the gesture, her smirk turning to a more friendly smile as she leant closer to him.

“Good. That's a good idea” she said softly. “Don't get too messy in there though. Remember we have guests and an archangel to deal with”

“I would not forget that,” Castiel said back, blushing slightly at what Rowena was hinting at. “You are a guest here also, if you have not forgotten”

Rowena giggled, leaning even closer to the angel who managed to stand his ground. She smoothed his tie down with the hand she had laid on his chest, before closing her fist around the tie and pulling him down so he was closer to her eye level.

“Oh Castiel” she purred, bopping him on the nose with the finger of her free hand. “I do love how serious you are” she smiled further as he squinted at her. “You know, if things don't work out with you and Dean, you know where to find me”

She let go of his tie then and Castiel instantly straightened, running his hand down his slightly crinkled tie to flatten it once more. He did not say anything but the shade of his cheeks and ears was enough for the witch and she giggled again before making her way past him, patting him on the shoulder as she did so.

“Don't keep lover boy waiting” She called back over her shoulder.

Castiel turned to watch her leave, feeling slightly embarrassed. He waited until she was out of the hall before running his hands down his front one last time and turning to walk after Dean. Before long he was in the hall that held the bedrooms and standing in front of Deans.. Well, his and Dean's bedroom. Even after all this time the angel still struggled to believe he could call it that. If he was being honest with himself he still struggled to believe that he had Dean at all, not just as a friend or as family but truly had him, for his own. His Dean.

He felt his cheeks heating up again as he stood in the hall as they usually did when he thought of the hunter. He knew that many people would see him as silly for still reacting this way but he was powerless to prevent it. When it came to Dean Winchester there was no helping how his heart sped up or how he would go weak in the knees when Dean looked at him or how he would miss him instantly the second they were apart. He supposed that was just how love worked, with no real reason or control. 

He looked at the bedroom door that was slightly ajar, no sounds were coming from within but Castiel knew Dean was in there. This was his chance to make things right with Dean and he did not want to mess it up. So, with that last thought in place he strengthened his resolve and pushed open the door to step inside.

Dean was sitting at the end of the double bed, his feet planted firmly on the floor and his elbows resting on his knees. He had his head hanging between his shoulder until the angel stepped in and then his head was up and looking at Castiel. He stood from the bed when Castiel turned to close the door to give them more privacy.

“I thought you weren't going to come for a moment there” He said, trying to smile but it was obvious he really had thought Castiel was not coming and the pain those thoughts had caused was clear in his green eyes.

Castiel silently cursed Rowena for making him late. “I bumped into Rowena on the way here,” he explained.

“Oh Yeah?” Dean smirked although his eyes still looked tired and a little afraid. “What did she want?”

“Nothing important” Castiel said, shaking his head and stepping further into the room. “Dean I-”

“Cas, it's okay. I need to speak now, I think. I need to apologize”

“Dean. You do not need to, I feel like I maybe over reacted” Castiel said, his eyes falling to the floor as if ashamed. 

“No Cas, You were right” Dean replied back and Castiel's eyes were on him again in seconds. Dean swallowed. Castiel looked almost adorable with his wide eyed look, Dean definitely did not tell Cas that he was right enough. His eyes swept down the angel's body and he realized this was the first time they had been alone in days, alone in their room for that matter. A grin spread his lips knowing the bed was literally a step away before he was shaking his head. This was not the time for that, he had to be serious for a second. They need to talk about this.

“I have been a huge dick” he began again, Castiel did not move, eyes still trained on the hunters face. “I know that you were just worried about me and I got defensive but that's no excuse. Cas.. When I lost you.. Fuck.. When I lost you it was the worst feeling in the whole world. I felt like I couldn't even breathe knowing you were gone.. I.. I could barely..” He had to stop, taking a moment to catch his breath and blink away the tears that were burning around his eyes. 

Castiel took a step towards him then, his arm outstretched and Dean did not need to be prompted to step into the angels embrace, strong and warm and steadying. Dean buried his face into the crook of Castiel's neck, one of his favorite places on the angel.

“Before when we had that fight, y'know over the vamps. I wasnt thinking I was just trying to get the job done. I guess for the longest time I have only ever had to worry about Sammy and if anything ever happened to me it didn't really matter as long as he was okay it really didn't matter” he felt Cas move his head so that his chapped lips brushed against the top of the hunters head and Dean tightened his hold on him. “I'm not used to being cared for like this. I mean Sam always cared, we are brothers and for the longest time we were all each other had. But we aren't anymore. We have Jack and our friends and we have you.. I have you Cas”

He pulled away a little so that he could see the angel's face, Castiel was looking at him as if he was the most important thing in the world. The only thing that mattered. 

He cleared his throat a little, “I would never want to put you through what I did when I lost you. The pain was like nothing I have ever felt before and I would honestly do anything, anything to stop you from ever feeling that way. I'm sorry I have been so reckless Cas. I.. I promise I will try not to do it anymore. I will wait for you like you asked because you are right, we are partners me and you”

He found the angel's hand with his own and laced their fingers together, looking back up at Castiel's face he saw that his blue eyes were shining with unshed tears. Dean thought that in that moment Cas’ eyes looked like the ocean and he would happily dive in and let them drift him away.

“I am sorry to Dean” Castiel spoke, his voice soft and his grip tightening on Dean's hand. “I was so worried about you that I did not think about my actions. I thought that if I gave you space to think about what you had done it would be the right thing to do but every moment I was away from you I regretted the decision more and more. I can't stand being away from you Dean. I am sorry”

“Well it kinda worked” Dean grinned, pulling on Castiel's hand until the angel was pressed against him, chest to chest. “I definitely thought about what I did”

“It seems you did,” the angel said back with a smile, his free hand coming up to rest on Dean's lower back, pressing them together further, enjoying the little gasp that Dean let out at the motion.

“I love you Cas” Dean said and he did not hide his face or avert his gaze, he looked deep into the angels blues and Castiel had no doubt that Dean was telling the truth. Even if he had not been able to feel the love radiating from the hunter's soul, his evergreen eyes told the whole truth.

“I love you too Dean. More than anything”

Dean's free hand shot up to cup the angel's cheek, his fingers sneaking around the back of his neck until he was pulling him into a soft kiss. They both melted into it, relief and love radiating from the pair. The kiss quickly grew heated and Dean was tugging on the angels trench coat, pulling him backwards towards the bed.

“What about the others?” Castiel asked breathless, his eyes hooded and ears bright red, even with his question his hands still roamed Dean's body as if having a life of their own.

Dean chuckled, continuing his pulling until his legs hit the bed and they were both falling down onto it. Castiel braced his arms onto the bed to stop him from fully falling onto the hunter, not that Dean seemed to care as he pulled and pushed at the angel's clothes until his trenchcoat was being hurled across the room and Dean's talented fingers were undoing Castiel's shirt buttons.

“They won't miss us for a little while” then he was kissing away any answer the angel may have had to that statement and Castiel was happy to let the others wait, even if they did happen to miss them.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

When Crowley entered the dungeon making sure Sam stayed outside, even though it was clear that the hunter wanted to join him in there, he took a deep breath before he walked over to the shelves that blocked Beelzebub from his view. Deciding he was going to get no calmer than what he was currently feeling he pushed his shades up his nose and pushed the shelves out of the way.

Beelzebub stood in the center of the room where Castiel had left them but they had turned so that their back was to Crowley. 

“I was expecting one of the hunters, or maybe the dark haired angel” Beelzebub said, after a moment of silence.

Crowley took several steps into the room, stopping at the edge of the devils trap that was painted on the floor. Beelzebub turned to face him then, their face passive and showing no sign of emotion.

“Nah, just me” Crowley said back, trying to sound braver than he felt at that moment.

Beelzebub regarded him silently, their cold eyes taking in his entire form before they landed back on his face again. Crowley gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing. After about a minute of neither of them saying anything Crowley cleared his throat.

“Was it true?” he asked, watching as the prince's head tilted at the question.

“Was what true?”

“You are trying to protect me?”

Beelzebub scoffed and shook their head but when they looked up to see that Crowley's face was one hundred percent serious their mouth pulled into a tight line.

“In a way. I do not believe that Gabriel has any right to your life” they replied dryly.

“That makes no sense. I am just a traitor right? You lot have wanted me gone for.. well, forever and now you are telling me that when Gabriel wants to kill me you have changed your mind?” Crowley questioned, his eyebrows knitted together as he looked at them.

“I haven't changed my mind. You are a traitor and deserve death. You turned your back on your own kind and chose one of them!” by the end they were almost shouting, their face now showing anger.

Crowley stepped back, a sneer working onto his own face as he stared them down. “Aziraphale is nothing like them! and I did not turn my back on you lot! I did my job, not my fault if it went tits up”

“It went that way because of your uselessness!” They snapped.

“How was I supposed to know the kid would choose what he did? I may have messed up the delivery but his choices were his own. We had nothing to do with it” He defended himself and Aziraphale, so tired of being blamed by this point.

“Is that how you comfort yourself? Are these the lies you tell yourself to cover for your failures” Beelzebub accused, taking a step towards Crowley then. “You were a laugh worthy angel and an even worse demon!”

Crowley recoiled slightly at those words. He opened his mouth and closed it again, the turmoil of his emotions overwhelming him for a moment. Even worse was the look of triumph on the prince's face when they saw the words they spoke having such an effect on the demon.

“You're wrong” Crowley whispered

“What?!”

“I said you are wrong!” He spoke louder, lifting his head to stare them down once more, “I may have been a crappy angel and maybe not the greatest demon but I found something better. I found him. To him I am the best of everything.. It doesn't matter what you think of me or what heaven thinks of me because the only thing that matters is how  _ he  _ sees me!” Beezebub shrank back at the defiance and strength in Crowley's tone. “So you can keep your opinion and you can keep your help. I don't care for it or want it. I have everything I need”

Crowley stepped away from the devils trap then, making his way over to the shelving again, missing the panicked look on the prince's face as he made the move to leave.

“And if you have nothing nice to say then you can stay in here where you can not upset anyone else. We will deal with Gabriel without you. Who knows, Edwin may be more cooperative”

With that he stepped out of the light that the interrogation room held and placed his hands on the shelving with intent to close the prince away once more.

“Do you remember the fall?” Beelzebub said then and it caused Crowley's movements to pause. He looked over at them.

“Of course I remember.. It's not exactly something you forget” was his curt reply.

“We fell at the same time. Do you remember that?” They asked, keeping their eyes on him.

He returned the stare, stepping away from the shelves and back into the room. Crowley remembered, he remembered every moment of it. He remembered falling, his wings burning to black as the atmospheres rushed past him. Remembered landing in a pit of burning sulphur and clawing his way to the surface only to scream until his throat was raw. He also remembered, hours later, when the last of the rebellion had fallen, when he had finally removed his head from his hands, seeing Beelzebub kneeling in a puddle of sulphur, their skin raw and bleeding, their face covering in sores, they looked up towards heaven and he remember the sound of their cries.

“I never wanted any of this Crowley. I never wanted to fall. I just had questions like you. I Just wanted to know the point. I did not want this crown or this title. To have everyone bow to me and look to me for orders.. I didn't even really want the apocalypse” They looked away from him then, looking down at their cuffed hands. “I just wanted to get out. Be above. See the sky. The stars. The sun. I just wanted to be free”

The cuffs clinked loudly as if underlining their non freedom and Crowley found himself gulping again. Right now, in this dimly lit room surrounded and held in things that meant nothing good for their kind, Beelzebub looked almost vulnerable and incredibly small and Crolwey felt himself aching for what they must be feeling. He himself felt the same but unlike the prince he'd had the freedom to come and go from hell. To watch the humans as they changed through history. To meet and pursue Aziraphale. He almost felt guilty, for having clearly so much more than them. Sure, he thought, they had the power of all the hordes of hell but what else? Nothing. No freedom. No friends. No one to love them.

“You may not be one of mine anymore Crowley” They said then, looking back up at the demon, their eyes the softest that Crowley had ever seen them and he shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. “But we are the same. We rebelled for the same reason and ended up in the same place because of it. I do not want heaven hurting you or any of us. They have no right. They lost that right when they cast us aside as if we were nothing”

Crowley nodded despite himself. Beelzebub was right, heaven had no right to their lives now and they never would again. It seemed he and Edwin were not the only ones who hated what they had become for all these centuries.

“So if you will allow it, I would like to help you and Aziraphale.. and your friends” they allowed their face to show all their emotions then, their self loathing and pain and their vulnerability but also their strength. They wanted Crowley to believe them.

Crowley thought about it a moment. With Beelzebubs help along with the others he had no doubt that they could handle anything that the Archangel threw at them. He made a step to break the trap before looking at them again, he had one more question.

“What about Edwin?” he asked.

“Edwin? Oh, you don't have to worry about him, he will do as I tell him” they paused as if considering something then made a small smile, “besides, I do not think he wanted to harm you anyway. He made no effort to track you since coming here and looked very afraid when we had you captured. He is your friend is he not?”

“He was”

“He still will be then” they countered, their small smile fading, “But it is your choice in the end. I will leave it up to you”

They stared at each other for a few long moments and if Crowley wasn't mistaken he would say that Beelzebub was clearly on edge, thinking that Crowley would walk away and leave them a captive. The demon took off his glasses, rubbing roughly at his eyes before placing them back on and squatting down. He placed a finger at the edge of the devils trap, releasing a little demonic magic and breaking the circle. When he stood again the prince looked surprised and he offered them a huge grin extending his hand in their direction.

“Guess this makes us partners then?”

Beelzebub stared at the hand as if almost scared then after a heartbeat took it and shook slightly their small smile appearing once again.

“Partners”


	18. The calm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise in advance for any grammatical or spelling mistakes that you may find in this chapter..
> 
> I hope you enjoy :)

When Dean and Castiel finally emerged from their room over an hour later they made their way back to the kitchen. They were both surprised to see Beelzebub sitting at the kitchen table, cup of coffee held between their two hands with Crowley sitting next to them. The two demons seemed to have been in deep conversation when Dean and Castiel entered the kitchen and Crowley looked up at them with a smile. Dean hesitated a moment when he saw the prince and Beelzebub looked at him with a mixture of interest and boredom, a look that only the prince of hell could pull off.

“What are they doing in here?” Dean asked after pulling his gaze away from Beelzebub.

Beelzebub let out a huff of laughter before taking a deep drink from their cup and Crowley looked between Dean and the prince before shrugging his shoulders and leaning forward on his stool.

“We spoke,” Crowley answered before reaching out and patting the prince on the shoulder. “They are here to help us”

Dean looked over at Castiel who was busy trying to straighten his tie. The angels cheeks were still tinted pink from their earlier exercise in their room and was in such a happy state he seemed completely unbothered by the prince's attendance in their kitchen.

“Oh.. Okay then” Dean said, shrugging and making his way over to the fridge to get another beer. He was feeling relatively parched.

“What about the other's?” Castiel inquired once he had stopped tracking Deans movements with his blue eyes.

“Sam, Jack and Rowena are in the library. Aziraphale has gone to fetch Edwin” Crowley answered, pulling his hand away from Beelzebubs shoulder when the prince shrugged it off.

He let out a quiet and somewhat awkward apology before his hand landed back in his lap and he was smiling up at Dean and Castiel again who were now openly staring at the prince.

“What?!” Beelzebub snapped after a beat and Dean quickly looked away but Castiel kept his staring up, unafraid of the prince's cold glare.

“I just find it hard to believe that you are really here to help” was Castiel's blunt response. Dean's eyes widened as he looked between the two, the tension in the room doubling instantly.

“I have already said my piece” The prince growled, pushing their coffee away from them, “believe what you want.”

Castiel stiffened beside Dean and Beelzebub looked about ready to stand when Crowley spoke up, cutting right through the tension.

“Woah!” He said, raising his hands between Castiel and Beelzebub who were still giving each other the death stare. “C'mon guys. We are allies in this”

Dean placed his hand on Castiel's shoulder in a calming manner and he instantly felt the angel relax under his palm.

“Fine” Castiel all but grumbled, before turning to leave the room.

“Where are you going?” Dean called after him.

“To see if I can help the others” was all Castiel said before he was rounding the kitchen door and was out of sight.

Dean watched him go then turned to see Beelzebub and Crowley looking at him. He let out a breathy chuckle, rubbing at the back of his neck with the hand that was not holding his beer.

“He just needs time to adjust” Dean tried to explain, though the excuse sounded weak even to him.

Beelzebub just grinned in return going back to their cooling cup of coffee.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Aziraphale had offered to retrieve Edwin from his makeshift cell voluntarily. He had been surprised when Crowley had returned to the kitchen with the prince in toe, pleasantly so. Although Beelzebub ignited fear within the angel it brought him a small amount of happiness to see Crowley and the prince conversing with such ease, so he had offered his help whilst Crowley made the prince a much needed drink.

Though now that he was standing at the door to the room that held Edwin he was feeling a lot more uncertain. Sure, he had been dealing with demons for centuries.. well, one demon. The angel was no fool he knew that Crowley was different from the others, he held no real evil in him and Aziraphale had been lucky to have found him, but this other demon, the one standing just beyond this door was something else entirely and it had been a long time since Aziraphale had had to deal with any other demon other than his lover. He shook the thought from his head. It was an unfair way of thinking, if Crowley could still stay good after all these years then what was to say that Edwin had not too? Even Beelzebub, one of the rulers of hell, was putting their malice aside to help them here so being judgemental was not an option.

Without giving himself anymore time to worry he clicked his fingers, hearing the door lock slide open before he was stepping inside. He had been preparing for something dark and sinister to be waiting for him on the other side so when he stepped into the room and saw Edwin sitting on a rickety looking chair in the center of the devils trap, knees pulled up to his chest and face hidden behind his arms Aziraphale could not help but feel his heart clench with sympathy. 

“Edwin?” Aziraphale called softly.

Although he had been hoping not to startle the demon by speaking softly, Edwin still jumped out of his skin, almost falling sideways off of the chair. His wide orange eyes found Aziraphale standing by the door and he quickly righted himself so that he was sitting properly. The angel studied him for a moment, seeing the shake to his shoulders and redness of his eyes and his face softened as he took another step into the room.

“Have you come to smite me?” Edwin asked, trying and failing to look brave.

“No,” Aziraphale said quickly, his eyes drawing the cuffs that held the demon's wrists. “I have come to let you out”

“Let me out?” Edwin all but squeaked, not believing the angel for a second. 

Aziraphale nodded, taking yet another step towards the demon. In seconds Edwin was on his feet, walking backwards until the devils trap would allow him to move no more, a look of obvious fear in his eyes. Aziraphale raised his hands to show he meant no harm. Inwardly he was more than a little surprised by the demon's behaviour, whatever Aziraphale had been expecting it was not this. He was ready for vulgar language and insults but nothing came other than Edwins heavy breathing. Aziraphale stayed where he was for the moment waiting for the demon to calm before he made any more movies.

Edwin watched the angel for a moment and when he was sure he would make no more moves he allowed himself to relax if only marginally. This was the angel that Crowley had turned against hell for, he thought. He had only seen the one picture but there was no doubt in his mind, the white hair and bowtie left no room for argument. The angel smiled at him and it was such a kind and warm smile that Edwin found himself gulping.

“Why don't you let me remove those?” Aziraphale asked, signaling towards the cuffs that still jingled with every move the demon made.

Edwin looked down at the handcuffs then back at the angel. Aziraphale nodded with a small smile, holding out his hand to Edwin. After a beat the demon walked towards the angel, stopping at the edge of the devils trap where Aziraphale stood. He stared at the angel's hand skeptically for a moment but made no move to touch it, knowing full well what an angel's touch was capable of. Edwin had seen many of his comrades turned to dust just from a brush of an angel's fingertips so he was unable to help his fear.

“Woah! Hey!” Edwin Yelped when Aziraphale reached out suddenly, taking the demon's hands in his own.

Edwin felt panic and tried to pull out of the angel's grip but Aziraphale's hands were strong and allowed him no escape. The demon was about to summon his magic and lash out but too late remembered that the trap and cuffs did not allow for it. He whimpered, closing his eyes and accepting his fate when he felt the warmed metal of the cuffs drop from his wrists and hit the ground with a loud metallic clunk.

He opened his eyes then, they were wide as they looked down at the cuffs then back at the angel who still held his hands on his own. Aziraphale was not looking at Edwins face, instead he was looking down at the demons wrists, which were red and raw from him trying to get the cuffs off for hours. The angel let out a tut which the demon found rather cute and proceeded to rub his thumbs over the demon's swollen flesh. When Edwin felt the first trace of grace touch his skin he hissed in fear but soon found it soothing and when the angel released his hands the wounds were healed. 

Aziraphale offered him a kind smile when the demon looked back to his face before bending down and touching the trap. In an instant it was gone and Edwin felt the weight lift from him.

“Why don't we take you through to the kitchen and get you a warm drink?” Aziraphale said, waiting for the demon to nod before he made his way to the door, holding it open for Edwin to pass through.

As the demon stepped through the door and into the long hall he found himself thinking that he totally understood why Crowley fell for this angel. With this kind treatment he would have to make sure he did not do the same.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

By the time Aziraphale had made it to the kitchen with Edwin the room was empty. The angel made his way over to the coffee machine, preparing to pour the demon a cup full when he heard the fridge open. He turned to see Edwin in the fridge helping himself to the hunters beers. He grabbed two, before closing the door and making his way over to the angel offering him one of the bottles. 

When Aziraphale raised a brow at him he shrugged and said, “You said I could have a drink, plus they have plenty in there, I would say one of those hunters has a teensy bit of a drinking problem”

Aziraphale opened his mouth to object to the demon's statement but closed it again. He took the offered beer and cringed a little when he took a drink, very bitter, the angel would definitely have preferred a nice glass of chardonnay. Edwin laughed at the angel's face before they both left the kitchen in search of the rest of their team.

They were easy enough to find. The noise of many people speaking brought them both to the library where everyone was now situated. It seemed that Edwin was not the only one to abandon the idea of hot drinks as the angel noticed almost everyone had a beer in their hand except from Jack who was sat with castiel and eagerly listening to the angels retelling of the werewolf hunt, the boys eyes wide with wonder as Castiel explained about the second surprised wolf.

Sam and Dean sat at one of the tables talking quietly to each other. Even Beelzebub now held a beer, though it did not look like they had taken so much of a sip. The prince sat with Rowena amongst the shelves and the two seemed to be in deep conversation. Crowley sat by himself, Sam's laptop open in front of him and he seemed to be concentrated on what was on the screen. Edwin took one look around the room before his eyes focussed on Sam. Aziraphale watched with amusement as the demon downed half his beer before swaggering over to the younger hunter in a fashion that reminded the angel of Crowley. Even more amusing was the look on Sam's face when the demon chose to pull a chair right up beside him giving the hunter a sultry smile that had him leaning away from the demon with an uncomfortable look on his face. Dean hid a smile behind his beer bottle, clearly enjoying his brother's reaction to the demon's outrageously flirty behaviour.

Beelzebub glanced over to watch as Aziraphale walked over to Crowley, the pair sharing a quick kiss before the angel sat down beside him. The prince watched them for a while, seeing the small touches and shared smiles. It still fascinated them to this day, how two creatures from such different places could find and love eachother so deeply.

“They are just the sweetest aren't they?” Rowena said from her seat beside the prince, pulling Beelzebubs attention back to her.

“I suppose” was all the prince said, absently picking at the label of their beer bottle.

Rowena regarded them for a moment, before placing her empty bottle on the small table between them.

“I heard you met my son” she stated and Beelzebub looked at her with a confused stare, clearly not knowing who she was talking about. “Crowley, the ex king of hell” she clarified.

“He is your son?” Beelzebub asked, putting their own untouched beer down.

“Yes. I heard he caused you a bit of trouble over there” she said, shaking her head with a sad smile. “He always was such a troublemaker”

“Was?”

Rowena looked at them fully then, her eyes shining with what could be tears but she quickly trained her face into a more passive expression, a move the prince often used themself when their emotions got too close to the surface.

“He is dead.” she said, almost coldly and the prince felt their heart drop. “He died protecting Sam and Dean and the entire world really. He died a hero. surprising I know”

Beelzebub did not say anything, too busy thinking about the snarky king that had ended up in their hell. It was not too long ago for the prince, a few weeks really but Crowley had explained to them the time gap and they supposed a lot could happen in two years. They had been hoping to find him before going home, for what reason they didn't know but they had wanted to anyway. The disappointment was undeniable at hearing about his death but the sudden sadness that filled their chest was a surprise. Maybe they had wanted to see him more than they had even noticed themself.

"Were you and he friends?" Rowena asked then, her tone sad and serious and her voice lowered so only Beelzebub could hear.

Beelzebub blinked a few times, a little caught off guard by the question before a soft smile pulled at their lips. "No" they said, watching as Rowena looked away, Beelzebub reached out to touch her hand and bring her back to looking at them. "But I was hoping we could have been. I think I mainly came here to see him again"

The witch let out a breathy laugh then, a stray tear slipping from the corner of her eye and she brushed it away quickly before tapping the hand that Beelzebub had laid on her. They sat in silence for a while after that, Beelzebub still held Rowena's hand and the witch made no move to pull it out of their grip.

Rowena and Beelzebub were pulled from their private thoughts by an excited noise over by the tables. They looked over in time to see that Crolwey had transformed into a large black and red snake and Jack was standing beside him with pure wonder in his eyes. Crowley slivered around the boy's legs and further out into the room and Jack chased after him eagerly, commenting on just how 'awesome' it was.

Beelzebub allowed themselves to smile then leaning forward and taking their first sip of their beer. The taste was not pleasant but it was new and it did not take long for the prince to finish the bottle. Feeling their cheeks red and their movements almost lucid they even allowed himself to enjoy the scene before them as snake Crowley slivered around Dean's legs and the hunter let out a frightened shocked yelp.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

A few hours later and the fridge no longer held beer. After the group had polished them off, Dean had pulled out a bottle of finely aged whiskey and they had all drunk and been merry. All sharing stories and tales of their times, getting to know each other a little more.

Castiel found himself being one of the last people awake. Rowena had retreated to one of the spare rooms an hour or so earlier. Beelzebub and Edwin were hunkered down on the library seats, both their eyes closed. Sam leant forward in his seat before slowly standing, he tilted drunkenly to the side before catching himself on the edge of the tabel. He mumbled a good night to Castiel before stumbling out the room leaving the angel sitting at the table with a passed out Dean.

The angel looked down at his lover. Dean had an empty whiskey glass clutched in his hand and his face resting against the top of the table, his butt balancing precariously at the edge of his seat. The hunter let out a snore and Castiel chuckled silently as he reached out and removed the glass from his hand. He stood from his seat, pulling the hunters chair away from the table and placing a steadying hand on Dean's shoulder to stop him from falling off entirely. Dean let out a tired grumble as Castiel bent down to lift him from the chair, one arm under the hunters knees and the other supporting his upper back as he lifted him. In his sleep Dean reached out and wrapped his arms around the angels neck as if on instinct and Castiel held him close to his chest as he walked him out of the library and down the hall towards their bedroom.

On the way they passed the kitchen and Castiel peered in to see Jack and Aziraphale with their eyes closed, leaning against another on the kitchen floor with Crowley's long thick snake body wrapped around the pair. The snake was clearly asleep and Castiel found himself smiling at the cute scene. He was not sure if the angel or Nephilim were actually sleeping seeing as neither of them needed it but they seemed comfortable either way. Castiel readjusted Dean so that his weight rested on the angels chest before reaching into the kitchen to flick off the overhead light.

He did not move straight away, instead taking a moment to wrap the arm he had moved away from Dean back around the hunter. Cradling Dean in his arms he smiled down at him before lifting his head and closing his eyes. It was quiet, the only sounds coming from the ancient fridge and the pumps pulling in air to breath. It was as though a strange yet comfortable calm had fallen across the bunker.

After that he took Dean straight to their room, pushing the door open with his foot and walking in to place Dean gently on the bed. He removed the hunters boots and pulled the cover over the top of him. Once Dean was settled he leant down, pushing his sandy hair from his temple and placing a soft kiss to it.

“mm love you Cas" Dean mumbled through his sleep.

“Love you to Dean” Castiel whispered back, petting his hair one last time before straightening again.

He walked to the door and switched off the light before deciding he would collect some spare blankets from the linen closet and offer some to Beelzebub and Edwin and perhaps throw one over the others in the kitchen too. 

He made it to the closet opening the door but before he could reach inside and grab an armful of blankets he found himself doubling over and clutching at his head. The loud shrill sound of angel radio screeched in his brain, the voices that he could hear through the static were panicked and screaming, some even sounded in pain. He reached out blindly to touch the wall, leaning against it to stop him from falling completely as the noise became louder by the second. 

He closed his eyes as he tried to single out a voice, to figure out what was actually being said and what he heard was nothing good. One voice was louder than the others and he singled it out focusing only on it.

“We are under attack” it screamed, causing Castiel to shudder in pain. “The intruder is Gabriel, I repeat the intruder is Gabriel.. Oh.. Please.. mercy!!”

Then the voice was gone and angel radio fell silent leaving Castiel bent over in the hall, sweating and breathing heavily. Blankets forgotten.


	19. Before

Aziraphale was not exactly sleeping but he had managed to slip into a meditative state, the warmth from Jack and Crowley along with the beer had definitely helped. When Castiel had turned off the kitchen light Aziraphale had opened his eyes slowly just in time to see the other angel standing just outside the kitchen doorway, Dean held comfortably in his arms. Aziraphale had stayed silent, observing the way that Castiel looked down at the sleeping hunter he held before he lifted his head and closed his eyes. Aziraphale had almost been tempted to call out to him but the relaxed expression on Castiel's face stopped him from doing so.

He waited until Castiel had carried on down the hall before he attempted to move. It proved difficult though, Crowley had wrapped himself around Jack and Aziraphale rather tightly, if the nephilim or angel were human it would have been uncomfortable. He wriggled a little but all it managed to do was cause Crowley to tighten his coils around them. Jack let out a soft snore and the angel held in a chuckle when he turned his head to see Jack fast asleep, his mouth slightly agape and a small trickle of drool on his chin.

Deciding he did not want to wake either the boy or the demon he miracled himself out of the coils so that he was standing just to the side of them. He watched with a warm smile as Crowley instinctively wrapped tighter around Jack, filling in the space where the angel once sat. He stayed still for a moment, listening to Jack and Crowleys breathing and the other quiet sounds that echoed through the bunker at such an hour. Aziraphale glanced at the clock on the wall to find that it was not late but early, the hand of the clock informing him it was roughly two A.M.

Once he was happy that Jack and Crowley were not going to wake he decided to go in search of Castiel. He knew that the angel did not sleep and it would be nice to have someone to talk to while they waited for the sunrise to come and the others to wake. He stepped out of the kitchen into the light of the hall, blinking a few times to let his eyes adjust before turning towards the hall that he was certain the bedrooms were. He had not had much of a chance to investigate the bunker and he made a note to himself to explore more later.

He stopped suddenly when there was an immense ringing in his ears. It started low as if it were distant but soon reached a level that was painful. Aziraphale let out a yip of pain, bringing his hands up to cover his ear but it did nothing to help deflect the noise as the angel soon realized it was coming from inside his mind. There were voices amongst the noise but unused to it the angel struggled to make any of the words out. He stumbled sideways, hands still clamped to his ears, his shoulder hitting the wall as he leant against it to steady himself.

Then it stopped. The build up had been slow but the finish was abrupt and it left the angel gasping for breath. After a few moments he pushed himself away from the wall, feeling a wetness on his face he brought his fingers to his nose and was surprised when they came away bloody. He stared at the red smear on his fingers for a few moments before reaching into his jacket and pulling out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his nose.

“What on earth was that?” he questioned the empty hallway. 

With slightly shaky legs he continued on up the hall. When he reached the end he stood for a moment contemplating whether to turn left or right. It was decided for him when he heard a muffled sob coming from the hall to his left. He pocketed the handkerchief and quickly made his way towards the noise. He knew already that the sound had come from Castiel, the angel knew Castiel's vocal tones too well to be mistaken. He hurried faster and almost tripped over Castiel who was slumped against the wall. 

Aziraphale knelt down beside the other angel and if he had thought his nose bleed was bad Castiel was in a much worse state than him. The dark haired angels nose was also bleeding but when Aziraphale took a closer look he saw that there was also blood coming from both his ears and when Castiel looked up to meet Aziraphale eyes there was a red tear dripping from his eye, leaving a bloody trail down his cheek.

“Good lord, Castiel are you alright?!” he asked in a panicked voice, pulling his handkerchief free again. It was miraculously clean and the angel set about wiping at Castiel's eye and nose then finishing with his ears.

Castiel allowed the other angel to fuss over him, in truth, he was feeling very weak and appreciated the care that Aziraphale gave him. When the other angel was done and Castiel's face was mostly clean he placed the handkerchief in his pocket once more before offering Castiel his hands. Castiel took them and the principality pulled him to his feet with ease.

“Did you hear all that noise too?” Aziraphale asked once he was sure Castiel was steady on his feet.

“Yes. Angel radio” Castiel explained, stepping back and pressing his back against the cold tiled wall. “Heaven is under attack. It sounds as though Gabriel found a way up there. How? I do not know” 

“Oh dear.. That is not good news” Aziraphale mumbled.

Castiel just nodded his head before he turned back towards the bedrooms, pushing the linen cupboard door closed as he passed. “I will get Dean,” He said over his shoulder to Aziraphale. “You wake the others”

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

It did not take Castiel long to rouse Dean. The hunter had protested mightily at first, even going as far as grabbing onto the angel's hand that had been shaking his shoulder and pulling Castiel down into the bed. It was only when the angel used his grace to switch on the overhead lights and Dean's eyes adjusted to see the red smears on Castiel's face did the hunter stop his protests and sit up. He had asked what was wrong but Castiel had just shook his head and told him they needed to meet the others in the library. After that Dean was out the bed and pulling on his boots in seconds and the couple were making their way to the library.

Castiel was pleased to see that Aziraphale had managed to wake everyone else up, even Rowena who looked less than pleased that her beauty sleep had been interrupted. All eyes landed on Castiel, most still sleepy, as he stepped up to one of the large tables and cleared his throat.

Castiel then proceeded to fill everyone in on what had occured. Trying not to react as the sleep fell from their eyes the longer he went on, then when he had finished the room fell into a loud silence.

“Well shit” Dean said, breaking the quiet.

“I dread to think what he has got up to up there,” Crowley said.

“Judging by the screams I would say nothing good” was Aziraphales reply.

“Well this is a good thing right?” Rowena said then, caused everyone to look over at her with a mix of surprise and confusion on each of their faces. “Well the angels aren't exactly on our side.. Everytime you boys run into one they try to kill you so if that Archangel is up there killing them all then that's good.. right?”

“She ain't wrong” Dean grumbled, receiving a glare from Castiel. “What?”

“There aren't many of us left,” Castiel said back dryly. “If too many angels die then heaven will fail. The souls that rest there will fall to earth and there will be no place for people to go when they die”

“Oh” Dean said dumly, looking away from Castiel somewhat guiltily.

“So we need to get him out of heaven” Sam said, from where he stood leaning against one of the many bookshelves.

“You need to capture him,” Edwin said.

“Which means we need to get him here?” Jack asked, his fair haired still ruffled from sleep.

“How though?” Crowley asked, he was back in his human form and was sitting close to Aziraphale.

Aziraphale looked over at Castiel and their blue eyes met. Crowley watched as the two angels seemed to have a silent conversation and he fidgeted in his unhappiness as to where this was heading.

“We have holy oil and magic on our side” Sam said, looking over at the demon.

“And us” Beelzebub said, speaking for the first time since they had been awakened by the noise in the library. “With our help we should be able to trap him without incident”

“And we have the book” Dean added, nodding his head towards the bookcase that the good omens book rested. “If we can get him trapped we can force him back through the book”

“But how do we get him here?” Sam asked, his brows pulled together.

It was silent for a moment as everyone thought about that question. Castiel was the first to speak.

“I will go to heaven and get him,” he said.

“What?! NO!” Dean was on his feet in seconds, facing his angel and ignoring the looks the others tossed their way. “You can't go up there! They all want you dead!”

“Dean. If I do not go they will be wiped out. I can not allow that to happen not only for the sake of the innocent souls but.. well, they are also my family”

“Screw that! your family?! Cas they don't care about you. They would sooner kill you then talk to you” Dean protested, his voice loud in the otherwise silent library.

“It does not matter what they think of me” Castiel replied back, his face stern. The sternness did not last though as he saw the horror in the hunters eyes, his face softened as he reached out a hand to lay on Dean's chest. “They are my family Dean. I know I mean nothing to them but it does not change what they are. You know better then anyone what family means”

Dean's shoulders slumped at Castiel's words knowing there was no argument he could make to that statement. Dean knew full well that he himself had thrown himself into death's jaws several times for family and he also knew that he would do it again without thought when it came to Sam, Jack or Castiel but in Dean's mind that was different. He placed his own hand over the angels that was still on his chest, wrapping his fingers around Castiel's warm hand and looking at him with pleading eyes.

“If he catches you Cas he will kill you.. I don't want you to go alone” Dean all but whispered.

”He will not be alone” Aziraphale said then, standing from his place beside Crowley. “I will go with him”

“What?!” Crowley cried, jumping to his own feet.

Aziraphale did not pay the demon any notice as he stepped around the table and made his way over to Castiel. The dark haired angel gave him a thankful smile.

“We are the only ones here who can get into heaven and I know Gabriel. I have no doubt that if he sees me and Castiel he will give chase without a second thought” Aziraphale explained.

Dean nodded his head, although he also did not want the other angel to get in harm's way either the thought of Aziraphale going with Castiel made the panic in his chest subside if only a little bit.

“Okay then” Sam said as he pushed away from the bookcase. “You guys go. We will have everything ready for when you get back. Just.. be careful.”

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Within ten minutes Castiel, Dean, Aziraphale and Crowley stood in the bunker's large garage. The others had already said their goodbyes and had stayed behind in the library to prepare for the Archangel Gabriel's arrival. Dean and Castiel stood by Castiel's old car and were speaking in hushed tones, Aziraphale could feel the love and concern radiating from Dean and he couldn't help but smile fondly as the pair said a few more words before they embraced one another. 

He turned away to allow them some privacy and he was faced with his own lover. Crowley did not look in the least bit happy, he was chewing on his bottom lip and had pushed his shades up onto his head to reveal his yellow eyes that were red and puffy from unshed tears.

“I hate this angel” he groaned when Aziraphale was looking at him.

“I know my love but I cannot let Castiel go alone can I?” he asked and when Crowley just continued to stare at him with his tired expression he added, “like you said before Crowey, this problem is mine and I must help fix it as you did with Beelzebub and Edwin.”

“Ngk.. I know.. I.. I just..” he took a deep breath, trying to stop his voice from shaking. “This is the one thing I did not want to happen. I do not want you to return to heaven”

Aziraphale let out a small breath, stepping closer to that there was only an inch or so between them. He thought of the accusation Crowley had made the first night he had come here, when he had said that Aziraphale was going to leave him and it caused his heart to ache just as much as it did when the demon had first said the words. He realized that he had not actually gotten around to denying it.

“Crowley, my love. I would never leave you. When I received that letter it was not happiness that filled my chest at the news but fear. I know what they did to you and I know you wish it had never happened. I never knew you as an angel dear and I am sure you were a fine one, me.. well.. I have never fitted in up there. None of them ever liked me and I was always strange one who cared too much about humanity” he took a breath, raising his hands to place one on each of the demons cheeks. “I felt like my existence was pointless. That was until I stood atop the wall of the garden and a large black snake came to say hello. That was when my life had purpose again Crowley,..You are everything to me and even if I were to go there I would always return to you because I love you Crowley and I do not want to be anywhere else but by your side because my home.. my real home is with you”

“Ngk” was all the demon could manage, he felt as though his heart had swelled up to five times its size at the angel's words and his face was beet red and hot in Azirahales hands. 

The angel let out a chuckle, not needing Crowley to reply just needing him to know he was sincere in what he had said. Just wanting the demon to know how much he was loved by the angel. He closed the gap between their faces, placing a warm kiss to the demon's dry lips. Crowley's eyes slipped closed, his hand coming up to grip at the angel's arms as his legs felt like they would give way any moment. When Aziraphale finally pulled away Crowley was well and truly breathless.

Aziraphale pressed his forehead against Crowleys, no words needed for that moment as they could both feel the love flow from the other. Then, Aziraphale was pulling away, glancing over his shoulder to see Castiel waiting for him, already seated behind the steering wheel. Aziraphale raised his hand to show that he was ready but when he turned to step towards the car Crowley grabbed at his arm. 

“When you see Gabriel” he said, his voice strong and his face serious. “Just run”

Aziraphale nodded, planning to do exactly that.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

The drive to the heavens gate was a lot longer than Aziraphale had thought it would be. After a couple of hours in the car he had even been tempted to offer to fly them there. He was sure that if Castiel directed him they would make it there in no time and with little difficulty but he chose not to mention it, sensing that Castiel needed the time the drive took to steal his nerves and get his head in the right place for the trip upstairs.

Aziraphale had almost fallen back into his meditative state when Castiel brought the car to a complete stop. The angel opened his droopy eyes fully, leaning forward to peer through the front window. He was surprised that they had stopped at a children's play park, on further inspection of the surrounding area it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere and he briefly wondered what a playground would be doing in such a secluded area.

He was going to ask Castiel but the angel had already turned off the engine and gotten out of the car. Aziraphale quickly did the same, walking around the vehicle and over to Castiel who had stopped by a sandbox and was looking around the playground as if in search of someone. Aziraphale stopped by the edge of the sand too, looking down into it to find an intricate pattern drawn into the slightly damp sand.

“This is it, isn't it?” Aziraphale asked, “I can feel it. Heaven”

When Castiel did not say anything Aziraphale pulled his eyes away from the sand to look at him. The dark haired angel had a look of concern on his face as his eyes still searched the deserted playpark.

“There should be someone here guarding the gate” he explained when he noticed Aziraphale looking at him.

“Perhaps they got called back up to assist with the er.. situation” Aziraphale offered, though he was totally unsure. This was like no heaven gate he had ever seen before.

“Perhaps.” Castiel agreed, “I have heard nothing more since this morning. It is concerning to say the least."

He turned fully to Aziraphale then, regarding the angel before looking down at the sandpit.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“As i'll ever be” Aziraphale replied.

Satisfied with Aziraphale's answer Castiel raised his hand so that it hovered over the top of the pattern in the sand. Nothing happened for a short moment but then in front of Aziraphales disbelieving eyes the sand began to dance and rise as if caught in a wind but never being carried out of the confines of the sandbox. Then there was a burst of light and the door to heaven was open, warmth radiating out of it and seeping into both angels. It should have been a feeling that angels loved, a welcome home but it did nothing for either Castiel or Aziraphale and they shared one more loaded look before stepping through.   
  



	20. The storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little longer than the others, please don't mind the spelling mistakes..
> 
> Enjoy :)

For what felt like a long time but was probably only a few seconds Aziraphale was blinded by brilliant white. The sensation was very similar to when we had been pulled through the book into this world. When his left foot touched down on white tiles he blinked and was greeted with the sight of a long sterile looking corridor. Both sides of said corridor were lined with doors and when Aziraphale took a closer look at the one closest to him he saw that there was a panel that said a name and a date.

Castiel was by his side in the hall then coming through maybe a second after Aziraphale had. Aziraphale stepped away from the door he had been inspecting when Castiel looked at him.

“What are these?” Aziraphale asked, motioning his hand towards the many doors.

“They are people's heavens. Each person has their own private heaven that they relive their best memories in” Castiel explained, blue eyes sweeping down the corridor and hating the fact that it shows no signs of lifes.

“You mean they are alone in there?” Aziraphale queried, his eye brows pulling together sadly.

Castiel's eyes were back on him then and he lifted his own eyebrow in question, not understanding why Aziraphale suddenly looked so upset.

“Is this not how your heaven is?” He asked.

Castiel had never actually gone to heaven in the other angels' universe. When Beelzeub had called Gabriel to hell to collect Castiel the Archangel had taken one look at him and been disgusted by his broken wings. He had obviously thought that Castiel was not good enough to be taken up to heaven and had decided instead to take him to Aziraphale to enquire about him being there in the first place. It had turned out to be the best turn of events as Castiel was able to save Sam from the Archangels fury but at the same time he did find himself regretting the fact that he had never been able to get a taste of what Aziraphale's heaven was like even if the other angel did not speak kindly of the place.

Aziraphale considered Castiel's question for a second, taking a small moment to look up and down the seemingly never ending corridor then back at the other angel.

“Well, the sterile feel to it is very similar” Aziraphale commented before glancing at the door closest to him one last time. “But in my world when people move on to a better place, the place is well.. it's better. They are reunited with their loved ones and are able to live in peace. this almost feels synthetic”

Castiel did not say anything but inwardly he agreed with Aziraphales last statement, this place was synthetic, the lives that people lived within each of these rooms was all a dreamlike illusion to keep their souls happy and sated. He supposed they were at peace, when he had been human he had experienced dreams and had found the experiences pleasing if nothing else, but a dream was just a dream in the end. The idea of being together with the people you loved seemed much better and although Aziraphale had said his heaven was a bad place for angels it seemed like it was not so for bad the human souls that ended up there. Maybe this heaven could learn a thing or two from Aziraphale.

They had begun to make their way down the corridor, turning every now and again when the opportunity presented itself but to Aziraphale it almost felt like they were going around in circles as everything looked the same. That was until they turned a corner and Aziraphale spotted someone laying on the floor further up the hall.

“Castiel, look” he said, pointing his finger towards the slumped figure when the other angel looked his way.

Castiel wasted no time. He knew with certainty that it was an angel and he was heading over to them without a second thought. The closer they got to the unmoving angel the more apparent it became that they were too late, this angel was already dead. Aziraphale let out a quiet gasp when they came to stop beside the body. Wide blue eyes tracing the wing shape scorches that fanned out on either side of the angels now dead vessel.

“Is there nothing we can do?” Aziraphale asked, lowering himself down to his knees to press his hand against the dead angel's forehead.

He tried to apply his magic but flinched back when all he felt was cold emptiness. The body in front of him no longer held an angel. It was nothing but an empty vessel and Aziraphale choked on a horrified sob. He jumped slightly when he felt Castiel's hand on his shoulder and when he looked up at the dark haired angel he saw sorrow and understanding in his ocean eyes. Castiel gave Aziraphale's shoulder a gentle squeeze and the principality sniffled with a nod and climbed back to his feet.

They carried on down the hall until they heard what sounded like a chair being scraped along the ground. Castiel stopped moving instantly, his angel blade falling from his trench coat sleeve and Azirphale absently wished he had thought to bring his own along. There was another shuffling noise and Aziraphale looked at Castiel with frightened eyes. Castiel raised his finger to his lips to tell Aziraphale to be quiet then signalled for the other angel to follow after him. He crept down the hall, stance lowered and ready to strike at any moment, slowly making his way towards the sound. 

He brought them to a stop in front of a double door that had no panel or name on it. Both angels looked at each other for a moment, Aziraphale looked scared but showed no signs of wanting to flee and Castiel nodded his head before pushing the door open. No sooner were the doors being pushed open than several sets of hands were grabbing onto each of them. Aziraphale found himself slammed back into the wall, the air being knocked from his lungs from the impact. Castiel, who had been expecting some sort of assault, managed to twist out of his attacker's grip and bring the base of the angel blade down on their nose.

The angel that had grabbed onto him let out a shocked noise, stumbling back a few paces before catching themselves on a table. Castiel turned to the other angel that had attempted to grab him, raising the angle blade in a defensive manner to stop their advances.

“Stop!” came a demanding femnine voice and Castiel and Aziraphale both looked up to see a dark hair woman stepping out from the crowd of angels that occupied the other end of the room. “Castiel? You are the last angel I expected to come through that door”

Aziraphale looked from the woman, clearly also an angel, to Castiel, whose face had taken on a look of clear dislike towards the woman. 

“Duma” He grated out roughly, obviously not at all happy to see her. “I came when I heard the cries”

The woman, Duma, tilted her head as if thoroughly confused by the words coming out of Castiel's mouth. She glanced over at Aziraphale, studying him for a moment before raising her hand at the angels still holding the principality against the wall. With her silent command the angels released their grip on Aziraphale and the angel stumbled forward a few steps only stopping when Castiel reached out a hand to steady him.

“I'm surprised you even bothered to come,” she said coldly, folding her arms over her chest. "It's not like you have shown much care for our kind recently”

Castiel snarled, his grip on the angel blade tightening. Neither Duma or Aziraphale missed the action, the former taking a cautious step back. Then, Castiel seemed to catch himself, remembering the reason they had come in the first place and bit down onto the inside of his cheek in an attempt to dampen his anger.

“We have come to help” Castiel said then, his voice a lot calmer than he actually looked. “It looks as though you are in need of it” there was the smallest smug smirk on his lips as he glanced past Duma to the group of angels that were practically cowering in the corner but within a second the smirk was gone.

Duma looked over her shoulder at the other angels before snapping her head back to Castiel an embarrassed fury in her eyes. She seemed to consider a retaliation to shoot back at Castiel but instead she looked at Aziraphale.

“I do not recognize you. I know every angel up here and although you are clearly an angel I do not know you. How is that?” she asked, regarding him with guarded curiosity.

“Well, you could say I am not an angel from this heaven” Aziraphale said after sharing an unsure look with Casstiel. 

“He is from another world” Castiel added when Duma just kept staring at the fair haired angel. “As is the Archangel that has got you all hidden away in this room”

“WE WERE NOT HIDING!” Duma yelled, her eyes wide and almost rabid. Castiel and Aziraphale just stared back at her, neither seeming at all bothered by her outburst before she added, “We were strategizing!”

Castiel let out an unbelieving breath through his nose but otherwise chose not to comment on the obvious lie.

“There is no need for that” he said, “we have come to take him from heaven.”

Duma scoffed out a laugh which cause Aziraphale to openly glare at her.

“What makes you think you can stop him?! He killed four of us in the blink of an eye before we were able to get away”

“Just tell us where he is dear and we will get him out of your hair” Aziraphale said, not too friendly, absolutely fed up with the tone she was speaking to Castiel in. 

Duma was clearly outraged with being spoken to in such a condescending manner but decided to tell the two angels where Gabriel was anyway, deciding that if they wanted to get themself killed she was more than happy to let them do so.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Duma had told Castiel that Gabriel was in the prayer room and he and Aziraphale had left to pursue him straight after, Castiel wanting as little to do with the other angels as possible. Dean had been right of course, they did not want or care to see him again even if he was so willing to help. 

Before long the pair were standing outside the room. It was eerily quiet inside as Aziraphale peeked through the slightly ajar door. He could not see anything inside and knew they were going to have to go in blind. Aziraphale was about to push the door open when Castiel stepped in front of him, blade drawn and ready. It was clear he wanted the principality to go in after him as unarmed as he was. Aziraphale was not entirely on board with that but being unable to voice his concerns with the fear of Gabriel hearing them he was given little choice in the matter.

When Castiel pushed the door open the first thing that Aziraphale noticed was the fact that this room like all the others the angel had seen so far was completely white, It was also almost empty. The only furniture being a large white marble throne-like chair that was situated in its center and sitting on the throne was the Archangel Gabriel himself.

Gabriel's head snapped up as soon as they stepped into the room and the moment his purple eyes landed on Aziraphale his mouth pulled into a wide sadistic smile.

“Aziraphale!” he all but sneered, lifting slowly to his feet before he looked over at Castiel. “and the other one” he said coldly.

“Gabriel” Azraphale said, fighting against the fearful lump in his throat. “You have caused enough trouble up here. I think you should come with us”

The Arhangel stared at Aziraphale for a moment, his face one of disbelief before he threw his head back letting out a loud obnoxious laugh. Castiel's form straighten his grip on the angel blade becoming ever tighter.

“Trouble? Have you seen this place Aziraphale? It's utterly disappointing. I have searched these halls back and forth and found no sign of God”

“He is not here!” snapped Castiel, unable to help himself with the mocking tone Gabriel spoke with.

“He?” Gabriel repeated the word back, squinting his eyes as if considering then shaking the thought from his head as if it did not matter and Castiel thought that it probably didn't to this creature. “No, he isnt is he. It's quite obvious. This place is a sad imitation of what heaven should be” he stretched his arms above his head before looking at Aziraphale again, “I must say I am rather disappointed that you came without the demon. I was looking forward to making you watch him die”

Aziraphale flinched at the venom in Gabriel's words and Castiel stepped in front of the principality, a growl emanating from his throat as he lifted the blade. Aziraphale grabbed at Castiel's coat sleeve, stopping his advance towards Gabriel before it could fully begin, pulling him back to his side with surprising strength.

“Castiel no! That's what he wants. We must go” Aziraphale all but begged in a harsh whisper.

“Come now Castiel. That was your name wasn't it?” Gabriel said in an almost conversational manner. “Do not let Aziraphale stop you. Come. Give me your best shot. I was unable to retaliate back home but here I have no one to answer to”

The Archangel clicked his fingers and with a bright flash of lightning his long sword appeared in his hands. Aziraphale began to tug Castiel backwards towards the door obviously seeing this as their cue to leave. Castiel fought against the grip for a second but then let his stance relax a little, allowing the other angel to pull him towards the door. Gabriel let out a deep sigh when the two turned their backs and ran from the room, feeling almost disappointed that Castiel had not tried anything.

Castiel and Aziraphale made it halfway down the hall, Castiel in front, leading Aziraphale through the identical halls back to the entrance, when Gabriel appeared out of nowhere in front of them. Castiel skidded to a halt, Aziraphale running straight into his back. He had enough time to push Aziraphale against the wall and out of harm's way before Gabriel grabbed a handful of Castiel's trenchcoat. Gabriel lifted Castiel from the floor, easily blocking the angel's attempt of trying to bring the angel blade down into his chest. His hand closed around Castiel's wrist and with a wicked smile he twisted the wrist unnaturally causing the bone to snap loudly and the blade to fall to the floor at his feet.

“NO!” Aziraphale shouted as Gabriel then proceeded to land several hard blows to Castiel's face with the hilt of his sword. 

Castiels head fell back loosely and Aziraphale was horrified to see his face bloody, his nose broken. 

“Pathetic” Gabriel spat into Castiel's face before hurling the angels down the hall. Castiel flew through the air for a lot longer than humanly possible before colliding with one of the many doors and falling to the floor.

Aziraphale barely spared Gabriel a glance before he ran down the hall and fell to his knees beside Castiel, lifting the angel's head in his hands and hating how little resistance there was.

“You have to go Aziraphale” Castiel gurgled through the blood that was in his mouth. “You have to lead him back to the bunker, to the others”

“I am not leaving you here. Come on” Aziraphale said, hoisting Castiel's arm over his shoulder and pulling him to his feet. “We will fly”

“I can't,” Castiel protested, his words full of pain.

“But I can. I will carry you, Castiel”

Castiel let out a pitiful whimpering noise. Aziraphale tightening his grip on his injured friend, turning in time to see Gabriel had started to advance on them down the hall. With a deep breath Azirphale called his wings to action and within a second they had materialized on his back, Gabriel let out an angry cry, figuring out that the angel was going to make a run for it.

Aziraphale allowed the Archangel to see the triumphant smirk on his lips before he beat his wings and was flying out of heaven. He realized too late that he did not know which way he was going. He thought of heading to Castiel's car but gave up on the idea instantly. It was too close to heaven and Gabriel would find them and Castiel was in no condition to drive. He decided to head in the general direction of the bunker when what felt like a freight train hit into the side of him, knocking him and Castiel out of the sky. He had enough time to look earthward before he hit the forest floor with bone breaking impact.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Back at the bunker Crowley sat in the war room at the map table looking up at the door and waiting for it to open to reveal Aziraphale uninjured and okay. He had been sitting there for hours now and the longer he waited the more dread that he could feel building in his chest.

“The more you watch the longer it will take” came Edwins voice from beside him, almost causing the demon to fall off the table in surprise, he had not heard him approach. “Its like watching the clock in school”

“You never went to school,” Crowley said back, pulling himself together.

“How do you know?” Edwin said back, a small smile on his face as he hopped up onto the table beside the other demon.

Crowley smiled back a little before looking back at the door once more. They both sat in silence for at least five minutes before Edwin looked over at Crowley.

“Is he worth it?” he asked.

“He is” Crowley replied back, not needing to ask who Edwin was speaking about. “I would do it all again for him”

“Everything?”

“Everything” Crowley nodded, pulling his eyes away from the door to look at Edwin. The other demon's orange eyes locked with his as if searching them for truth before he let out a sigh and looked away.

Crowley looked back at the door but he was very aware of Edwins presence beside him. He thought again of their friendship and how it used to be between the two of them. They had been through many missions together and also kept eachother company through the most life drainingly boring times.

“It is good to be working with you again” Crowley said then, looking at Edwin in the corner of his eyes to gage the demon's reaction. 

Edwins head had snapped round to look at Crowley, his eyes wide and shining and he looked as though he was fighting against a pleased smile.

“You mean that?” Edwin asked, his voice unsure.

“Of course I do! Why wouldn't I?” Crowley asked back.

Edwin looked away and Crowley felt a pang in his chest at the hopeless look on Edwins pale face.

“Well, you never said anything to me before you ran off with the angel. I actually had no idea you turned against hell. I had to find out from Dagon” Edwin explained.

“Ouch.. I'm sorry about that”

Edwin shrugged and Crowley felt like an idiot. Of course his friend must have been worried when Crolwey cut contact with him and knowing Dagon the Duke probably did not break it to Edwin lightly that his friend had gone awol. Hesitantly Crowley reached out his hand, laying it gently on Edwins shoulder bringing the demon's orange eyes back to his own.

“I mean it, Edwin,'' Crowley said sincerely, ducking his head lower to be at eye level with him, “I really am sorry. Everything happened so fast. I had no time to tell you and afterwards.. Well I kind of forgot.. I was happy and I did not think about what I had left behind in hell”

“It doesn't matter” Edwin grumbled, trying to shrug off Crowley's hand but the demon made sure it would not budge, gripping his shoulder even tighter.

“It does matter. You were my friend and I left you behind. I am sorry and if I can fix it I will. I would still like to call you my friend Edwin. If you will have me”

“Really?” Edwin asked and this time he really did look like he would cry.

“Sure” Crowley grinned and he really meant it. “My time with hell was shitty to say the least but we had some good times didn't we”

Edwin laughed, reaching his own hand out to place on Crowley's shoulder. “We did. Remember that time in China?”

“The one with the monks and the Jelly? how could I forget?!”

They both laughed loudly then at the memory, holding onto each other's shoulders to stop them from falling off the table. There was the noise of a throat clearing behind them and both the demons turned to see Dean. The hunter looked damn right wretched, his face paler than usual and bags under his eyes from his obvious worry. The laughter died away instantly and Crowley offered the hunter a sympathetic look.

“Any sign?” Dean asked, nodding up towards the door.

Edwin and Crowley shook their heads and Dean let out a desperate sounding groan. It was quiet and if Edwin and Crowley had been human they would not have heard it but as it turned out they had and the two demons looked at one another both feeling terrible for the hunter.

“Well, sorry for bothering you,” Dean mumbled, turning to leave.

“Wait” Crowley called, stopping Dean in his tracks to turn to look at them again. 

Edwin and Crowley pushed away from each other leaving a space between them. Dean eyed it skeptically a moment before looking at Crowley and the demon smiled kindly and patted the empty space, asking silently for Dean to join them at their post by the door. For a small moment Dean did not move, eyeing the space then Edwin as if totally unsure and Crowley was starting to worry he would walk away but then the hunter was shaking his head as he made his way slowly over to their side of the map tabel, before turning to perch in between the two demons.

He shuffled backwards until he was more firmly seated, giving Edwin a somewhat awkward smile before turning to Crowley. The demon knew his pain and he reached out and arm to wrap around Dean's shoulders. If there were anyone else in the room Dean may have pulled away from the side hug in embarrassment but he was too tired and too damn worried to and if he was being secretly honest the demon's hands around his shoulders were a comfort he did not know he needed.

The three of them sat there for at least another hour. They sat in silence staring absently at the door and then the clock. Then the silence was broken by Beelzebub practically running into the room. Edwin was on his feet in seconds, bowing his head in respect out of habbit, Crowley and Dean stayed where they were looking at Beelzebub.

“We have a problem” the prince said and Dean and Crowley were on their feet instantly.

“What?!” Dean asked gruffly, urgently.

“It's Gabriel. He has the angels”  
  



	21. The rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning for this chapter. There will be violence and blood. 
> 
> Though, i hope you still enjoy
> 
> :)

When Aziraphales eyes snapped open the first thing he realized was that he was laying on his back on the floor of what looked like a pine forest. His ears were ringing and when he tried to move, brilliant pain erupted from his right wing. He let out a pained groan, pushing up onto his elbow and looking over his shoulder to find the source of his hurt. He whimpered when his eyes settled on his wing, it was bent at an unnatural angle, his feathers were twisted, some stained red. When he tried to pull them back to his body his left one came without incident but the injured one protested mightily, causing the angel to cry out loudly again. He gave up on the idea of moving it, reaching out to separate the bloody feathers and fighting the nausea when he could clearly see the bone was broken.

He closed his eyes to steady his breathing, which had become erratic at best, when he remembered Castiel. He had lost his grip on the other angel when he had been knocked out of the sky and with one quick look around him there was no sight of Castiel either. In fact, he was completely alone in the patch of forest he sat in. Gritting his teeth he climbed to his feet, using a large spruce beside him as balance. In the distance there was a loud cracking sound followed by laughter and in his gut Aziraphale knew the laughter came from Gabriel. 

Worried for his friend he pushed away from the tree and began to stumble in the direction of the noise, his right wing dragging painfully along behind him. He had thought about healing it but with his current condition and his head as fuzzy as it was he forgo the idea. He wanted to still be able to find Castiel and knew that the energy it would take to heal a broken wing would wipe him out and render him useless.

After stumbling around for a few minutes and feeling as though he was getting nowhere he cursed his sense of direction, feeling the tendrils of hopelessness rising from the pit of his stomach. He felt like he could scream. Castiel had put his trust in him to carry him to safety and he had bloody dropped him. On top of that he had silently promised to protect the angel for Deans sake and hated the fact that at this moment he didn't even know where Castiel was. 

His foot caught on a raised tree root and he fell forward through several bushes. He landed hard on his hands and knees, letting out a moan before he lifted his head to take in his new surroundings. He was at the edge of a large clearing, the angel thought that it was once a wild flower meadow but the grass and plants looked as though they had been scorched and when Aziraphale saw movement further across the clearing he knew exactly what had caused it.

Castiel stood about twenty yards from Aziraphale. His stance was wonky, his right arm hanging loosely by his body, the joint having been dislocated, Aziraphale did not know if it was from the fall they had taken or from Gabriel who stood facing Castiel, a wicked smile on his face. Aziraphale noticed that Gabriel had a gash under one of his eyes and his lip was bloody, it seemed as though Castiel still had enough energy to fight back even if he did look as though he was going to fall down at any moment.

Aziraphale pushed himself to his feet again, his whole body against the idea but he did so anyway. If his friend could stand so could he. Castiel saw the movement out of the corner of his eye, sparing the other angel a glance before stepping to block him from view of the Archangel. Aziraphale was momentarily stunned by Castiel's attempts at protecting him even though he was definitely in worse shape than the principality. 

“I was wondering when you would get here Aziraphale!” Gabriel called over jovally, his voice easily traveling across the distance. “I was worried you were going to miss the show”

“What are you talking about?” Aziraphale snapped, anger and fear churning in his stomach. The angel had to stop himself from clutching his tummy when it lurched violently.

“Well, seeing as you chose not to bring the demon Crowley with you I have had to improvise some” Gabriel shot a look at Castiel, amused when he saw the raven haired angel struggling to keep his feet.

Castiel took a threatening step towards the Archangel, but it looked almost pitiful as he stumbled slightly, it was as if he was having trouble using his own legs. Aziraphale made a move to reach Castiel but Gabriel raised his hand and clenched his fist causing Aziraphale to fall to his knees, his breath caught in his throat. Castiel turned towards the other angel, one of his eyes were sealed closed now as blood streamed down his face from an open wound on his temple but his other blue eye widened when he saw Aziraphale clutching at his own throat.

“Nuh uh uh. You stay right there and watch, Aziraphale. I will have a bit more fun with this one then you and I will return home. How does that sound?” He asked as Aziraphale just gurgled. He raised a hand to his ear as if waiting for Aziraphale to say something but of course he could not and Gabriel chuckled knowing full well he couldn't.

“Y-you.. you w-will not take him anywhere” Castiel spoke then, his voice shaking despite himself.

“Oh really” Gabriel said, looking away from Aziraphale as Castiel took another tilted step towards him. “What exactly are you going to do about it? You are broken and weak. Since we last met your powers are much less and I doubt you could even call enough grace to your hands to even tickle me”

“It does n-not matter” Castiel stammered out, still making his way slowly towards Gabriel. “As long as I am still a-able to stand I will protect m-my friend”

Gabriel just laughed at that statement, clicking his fingers to disappear his sword, deciding he did not need it against Castiel. This did not deter Castiel though as he continued to close the distance. Gabriel waited a little longer, then clearly growing bored of waiting, he took the last few steps towards Castiel. The angel swung his good arm at Gabriel but the Archangel dodged it, side stepping Castiel so that the angel stumbled to his knees, his back to Gabriel.

“You see this Aziraphale?” He called over to the gasping principality. “The angels in this world are weak and pathetic. I do not know why you wasted your time coming here. They aren't able to protect anything” 

Castiel tried climbing to his feet again but Gabriel brought his booted foot down between the angel's shoulder blades pushing him down to the floor until his bloody face pressed into the dirt. Castiel groaned in pain but continued to use the last of his energy to push back against the Archangels foot. It was pointless though as Gabriel held him down with little to no effort. The sadistic smile was back on Gabriel's face again as an idea seemed to form in his mind.

“Let's have another look at just how broken you really are” Gabriel sneered.

He clicked his fingers again and Castiel had enough time to cry out his protest before his damaged skeletal wings appeared on his back. Gabriel looked down at them, quite openly disgusted by the sight of them. He bent down slightly, his foot still firmly between Castiel's shoulder blades and he grabbed a hold of Castiel's wings, one in each hand. He pulled roughly at them and the scream that ripped its way out of Castiel's throat was blood curdling.

Azirphale thought desperately against the hold that Gabriel had him locked under, forced to watch while the Archangel tortured his friend mere feet from him. Gabriel looked over at the principality then, his hands letting go of Castiel wings in surprise when he saw that Azirapahle was crying. 

“Why are you crying Aziraphale?” He asked, removing his foot from Castiel to turn fully to the kneeling angel.

Castiel let out one last groan before he fell completely still and Aziraphale prayed desperately for him to still be alive. Gabriel walked towards Aziraphae then, stopping only when he stood directly in front of him, towering over him.

“They're not worth your tears. They are nothing but a cheap imitation” He said in a tone that was supposed to be comforting but only served to make Aziraphale's skin crawl.

Aziraphale tried to speak but his throat was still being forced shut. Gabriel noticed this and let out a sigh before clicking his fingers and releasing the angel. Aziraphale gulped in the air the moment he could, his eyes streaming. He blinked away the tears looking up and Gabriel with such defiant venom that the Archangel took a step back without even realizing.

“He better not be dead Gabriel because if he is, I will not rest until I find a way to destroy you” Azirphale growled and it was so uncharacteristic of him that Gabriel almost looked frightened for a second.

Then catching himself fearing an angel below him his face pulled into a furious snarl and he reached out with the intent of grabbing a handful of Aziraphale's fluffy white hair. His hand closed around nothing though and he blinked when Aziraphale was no longer kneeling in front of him. He straightened turning around to see Aziraphale now knelt beside Castiel leaving Gabriel somewhat confused, Aziraphale should not have been able to fly with his wing broken and what was even more shocking was the two angels were no longer alone. 

No, the demon Crowley now stood in front of Aziraphale shielding him from view of Gabriel's purple eyes, Dean was there also, angel blade in hand and looking at Gabriel as if the only thing he wanted in the world was to drive said blade into the Archangel's skull. Gabriel let out an angry growl taking a step towards them when he was struck harshly across the face causing him to fall completely from the sheer impact. He brought his hand to his mouth as he lay on the floor pulling it away bloody. When he pushed to his knees he spat the mouthful of blood out and was outraged when one of his front teeth went with it.

“I think it is time you pick on somebody of your own strength, don't you?” came Beelzebubs voice and when Gabriel looked up he saw the prince standing in front of him with a smug smile and all.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

When Crowley and Dean first arrived at the clearing, brought there by Beelzebub, the first thing they had seen was the Archangel towering over a quite obviously injured Aziraphale. Crowley had made a move towards Aziraphale when Beelzebub pushed him back and clicked their fingers bringing the principality to Crowley instead. Dean and Crowley had stood in defence of their angels when Gabriel had turned to them but the prince had been fast, knocking the Archangel back with a harsh blow to his face. After that, the two were in combat almost instantly, moving so fast that even Crowley had trouble following their movements.

“Cas! Oh shit.. CAS!”

Crowley turned away from the battle between Gabriel and Beelzebub to see Dean down on his knees beside Castiel. The angel was not moving, his broken wings spread in an awkward angle around him, his face still down in the dirt. Dean liften Castiel's head with shaky hands but the angels showed no signs of waking. Crowley was beside Dean then, helping the hunter turn Castiel onto his side without causing too much more harm to his already decimated wings. 

“I'm sorry Dean” Aziraphale said, his eyes still full of tears as he watched the horror growing in the hunters eyes. “I tried to protect him but.. I..”

“It's okay angel,” Crowley said when Dean said nothing, wrapping his arms around the shaking principality, gently so he did not touch the angel's broken wing. “We have him now”

Dean remained silent as he looked down at Castiel and when he lifted his head Crowley and Aziraphale could not only see the rage in his face but could also feel it radiating from his whole body. Dean picked up the angel blade from the ground where he had dropped it when he had seen the state of his angel and climbed to his feet.

Crowley got up fast grabbing onto Dean to stop him from running at Gabriel. 

“Let me go!” he cried, pulling against Crowley's hold but the demon was stronger and held his still. “Look what he did to him!! I will kill him!”

“Dean! Dean stop! I know” Crowley all but shouted, pulling Dean so that he was facing the demon. “I know what he has done and it is unforgivable, but we have to get them to safety. Dean please.”

Dean struggled for another moment before he looked Crowley in the eyes, seeing anger reflected back at him from his yellow orbs. Crowley was furious too, Aziraphale was in a bad way and Dean could tell that the demon would love nothing more than to extract revenge on the Archangel but he was also right in what he was saying. They had to get Castiel and Aziraphale away from this place and back to the bunker where they would be safe and they could be healed. 

Dean pulled harshly out of Crowley's grip, only becoming free because the demon allowed it. He made no move to head over to Gabriel, instead turning back to Castiel's limps form. He kneeled back down in the dirt, reaching out to cup the angels bloody face in his hands.

“Cas. I'm here okay? I got you” He mumbled, letting his eyes take in the rest of Castiel's body, his green eyes stopping at the skeletal wings protruding from his back. “Oh god Cas.. look at you” he all but sobbed as he slid his arms gently under Castiel's back, lifting the angel into his lap. “You're gonna be okay baby. I promise. We are going to fix you”

Aziraphale and Crowley watched the heartbreaking scene as Castiel's head dropped loosely against the hunters shoulder as Dean cradled him to his chest. Aziraphale remembered Castiel holding the sleeping hunter the same way only hours before and he began to cry again at the thought. Crowley wrapped his arm tighter around his angel before reaching out his hand towards Dean.

“Come on Dean. lets go” he urged.

Dean looked over his shoulder towards Beelzebub and Gabriel. The prince seemed to be holding their own for now at least but Gabriel was clearly furious and showed no sign of backing down even though his own face was now cut and bleeding in several places, the prince obviously causing the Archangel more damage than he had thought possible. He pulled his eyes away and reached out to take Crowley's hand.

He blinked and they were back in the bunker. 

“Oh my god!” he heard Sam say though his voice seemed far away to Dean who could not pull his eyes away from Castiel's face.

Jack was beside Dean then, helping the hunter to his feet, the young man's hands hovering above Castiel and when Dean looked at Jack's face he saw the worry etched there. Edwin was beside Crowley and Aziraphale then too, fussing over the principality as Crowley got to his feet, his attention directed towards Sam and Rowena.

“Is everything set up becaus--”

He did not get to finish that sentence as the bunker began to shake around them. The warding on the walls began to glow and that was all Sam needed to jump into action.

“Jack. Edwin. Get Castiel and Aziraphale to the infirmary” he ordered stepping up to Dean.

Sam looked down at Castiel in Dean's arm before the brothers shared a look. The younger Winchester placed a hand on Dean's shoulder giving it a reassuring squeeze and Dean blinked back tears at the gesture. Sam reached into Dean's jacket pocket to pull out the hunters lighter. They nodded at each other, then Dean was moving, carrying Castiel out of the library, Jack in front and Edwin and Aziraphale close behind.

No sooner had they left the room when a flurry of mauve feathers and bug like wings appeared in the library. Rowena and Sam were pushed back by the force of Gabriel's wings as he beat them violently. Beelzebub was attached to the Archangels' back, their legs wrapped around his waist and their hand pulling fistfulls of mouve feathers from the base of his wings. Gabriel stumbled backwards, smashing the prince into a bookcase causing Beelzebub to lose their hold on him and fall to the floor with an oof.

Free from the prince's grip he pulled his wings back to his back, several places on them now plucked bare, the skin red and bleeding. He looked around himself. His usual well kept appearance was tattered, his hair was a mess, his face bloody and his usually immaculate clothing was creased and muddied. When his purple eyes landed on Crowley he let out an animalistic howl and flung himself at the demon. 

Crowley was ready however and brought his leg up just in time so that his foot made contact with Gabriel's chest. He kicked back with all his might causing Gabriel to fall on his arse in the center of the room. The tables had been pushed back to make space and before Gabriel could get back to his feet Sam was stepping forward with the lighter in hand. With practiced ease he flicked the lid up and brought the flame to life, dropping it to Gabriels knees and watching as the holy oil they had set up caught alight and spread around the Archangel in a perfect circle.

Gabriel growled, jumping to his feet, he took a strong step towards Sam but could get no further than the edge of the flames. He tried again and the flames flickered but Rowena had been ready, shouting out an incantation and throwing several hex bags into the circle. Beelzebub also raised their hand from their poston on the floor and Gabriel found himself completely unable to move.

The prince wiped roughly at their bleeding mouth as they got back to their feet. Walking around the edge of the circle to stand between Sam and Rowena, their cold eyes never leaving the Archangels furious face. Gabriel was growling and snarling as he thrashed ruthlessly inside the circle, his movements kept in check by Beelzebub and Rowena. The prince could not help but smile at the scene.

“Enough is enough Gabriel” they said and Gabriel went still. “It's time to go back home”

“You have reached a new low Beelzebub'' Gabriel hissed through gritted teeth. “Working with Aziraphale was one thing but a witch? Humans?!”

Beelzebub glanced at Sam then Rowena the witch and the hunters faced were stern as they eyed the trapped Archangel. Sam pulled his hazel eyes away to look at Beelzebub and Gabriel watched as the prince gave the hunter a nod and Sam began to move over to one of the bookshelves.

“I would not call it a low Gabriel” Beelzebub said calmly looking back at him now. “Actually I would say this is probably the best thing I have done in hundreds of years. Helping them feels right. Seeing you trapped and helpless feels even better”

Sam appeared beside Beelzebub again then and Gabriel's eyes widened when he saw that the younger hunter was holding a book in his hands. He began to struggle all over again but ultimately it was useless. 

“Wait!” He yelled when Sam took a closer step towards the flaming circle. “Okay. I get it. The demon is yours but Aziraphale.. Aziraphale is mine and I will not leave without him!”

Beelzebub shook their head before fixing the Archangel with their most iciest glare and Gabriel visually gulped.

“You are wrong Gabriel. Aziraphale is no more yours than Crowley is mine. They are each others and they answer only to themselves. Also what makes you think you have any say in when you leave?” they grinned at him as his eyes widened even further. “Sam, If you would like to do the honours”

“Certainly” Sam said smugly as he extended the book out in front of him.

“YOU WILL REGRET THIS YOU CRETIN!” Gabriel screamed. “WHEN YOU RETURN YOU WILL NO LONGER HAVE A THRONE YOU COWARDLY FIEND. I WILL MAKE SURE OF IT. YOU WILL PAY” in desperation Gabriel then turned to Crowley, teeth baring. "AND YOU! YOU LOWLY PIECE OF BILE, YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO AZIRAPHALE. MARK MY WORDS DEMON!"

Crowley just scoffed, a sly grin marking his face. "Trust me Gabe, Aziraphale loves all the things I do to him"

Gabriel screamed in fury, snapping his head back to Beelzebub. "I WILL BE WAITING BEELZEBUB"

Beelzebub did not even flinch at Gabriels words having already heard much worse. They almost hoped that Gabriel was speaking the truth that when they did return home someone else would have taken their throne. That would be the icing on the cake that was watching Gabriel suffer. Sam, clearly having enough of the Archangels screaming session, pushed the book out further in front of him and began to chant something in latin. he pulled the book open and bright light erupted from within the pages, blinding the hunter and Rowena instantaneously.

Beelzebub however forced their eyes to stay open and focused so they were able to savour the look of terror on Gabriels face as he was pulled out of the circle and into the book. Then, the light faded and the fire went out leaving the library in dim light and a circle that once held the Archangel empty.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me.. I promise this story has a happy ending


	22. The infirmary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hii!  
> So i know the last chapter may have been a little hard to read regarding our favourite angels..  
> But i am hoping this chaper may make up for that..
> 
> Enjoy :)

The moment Gabriel was gone was the moment Beelzebub felt their knees give out. Sam caught them before they hit the floor, his big hand holding them up by their elbow. They let Sam help them back to their feet all the while laughing breathily and they were pretty sure they were glowing. That was amazing, Beelzebub thought as they eyed the ashy circle on the ground where the holy oil once burnt.

Crowley let out a huff of breath of his own, his heart beating loudly in his throat and ears. He did not stay still long though. He was soon running out of the library, following the trail of white feathers to the infirmary where the angels were being looked over. He pushed through the door just in time to hear Aziraphale shout out in pain along with the audible sound of his wing bone snapping back into place. 

Aziraphale was sitting on a vintage hospital bed with Jack and Edwin on either side of him. Jack had his hands on the principalities wing, his eyes closed as if in concentration. When he opened them they were alight in a gold glow which quickly faded and disappeared at the same time that Aziraphale pulled his wing back to his body with a truly relieved sigh. Crowley was beside the angel in an instant reaching out to take his hand in his own, his yellow eyes taking in his face before they settled on his newly fixed wing. It looked good as new, not a feather out of place and the demon found himself gulping in air to fight off his tears.

“Thankyou” he grabbed from Jack's hand, the nephilim letting him, a smile on his face. “Thankyou, so much Jack” Crowley said, his voice wobbling as he squeezed Jack's hand.

Jack just nodded as if fixing Aziraphale was no problem at all, not seeming to need the thanks but just happy to help. The smile soon faded from his face when he glanced over at the other bed and Crowley felt his relief leave him so quickly it almost hurt. Still holding onto Aziraphale's hand, he turned his head in the direction of the other bed in the room. 

The first thing he noticed was Dean. He sat on a raised stall beside the bed, his body hunched and perfectly still. His back was to the demon so Crowley could not see his face but what he could see was Castiel. Jack had already worked on the other angel it seemed, his face was now healed and unbloodied, his arm back in place and when the demon leaned to the side slightly he could see that Dean was holding onto the hand of said arm. Although his wounds seemed healed the angel was still unconscious, his eyes closed and his face relaxed in a way that Crowley had never seen before.

“He has yet to wake up” Aziraphale said then and Crowley snapped his head back to look at him on hearing his voice. “Jack was able to heal his wounds but the stress of what Gabriel did..” Aziraphale stopped speaking then, taking a shaky breath and closing his eyes when he thought back to what had happened. He lent close to Crowley and lowered his voice before speaking again. “Oh Crowley.. Gabriel.. he.. Castiel's wings.. I couldn't stop him..” Aziraphale could say no more as he quietly began to cry. Crowley hushed him gently, wrapping his arms around him and holding him close.

“He will wake up though, right?” Edwin asked from his position on the other side of Aziraphale's bed. 

Crowley looked at the other demon over Aziraphale's shoulder and offered him a small smile with concerned eyes. He was thankful for Edwin being there for Aziraphale while he and the others dealt with Gabriel. He would not have been able to think properly if Aziraphale was still present at the time in the condition he had been in. 

“He will,” Crowley said, looking over at Dean again. “He will wake up Dean, he just needs a moment”

Dean didn't say anything but his body straightened and he let out a deep breath before turning in his stall to look over at his friends. Crowley's breath caught in his throat when he saw the look in the hunters eyes and he fought the urge to walk over to him and embraced him. He looked almost fragile in that moment and the demon's heart ached for his sadness.

Then, the vulnerability in Dean's eyes faded and was replaced with what Crowley could only call rage. He stood from the stall, his hands balled into fists as he looked over at Crowley. 

"Where is he?" Dean growled and Crowley quickly got to his feet, blocking the hunters path to the door.

"He is gone Dean. Sent back to where he belongs. He isn't your problem anymore" Crowley said, carefully.

"He has to pay for what he did. I have to make him pay" Dean snapped back, taking a step towards the door.

Edwin was beside Crowley then, prepared to block the door with him. This did not seem to bother Dean in the slightest though as he took another angry step towards the door and away from the bed.

"He isn't here any longer Dean" Crowley said firmly.

"Then I will go to where he is!" Dean all but yelled.

"D-Dean.. no"

Everyone stopped moving then, all eyes landing on the hospital bed that Castiel lay in. Dean spun around on his heels so fast he almost fell over. Castiel was sitting up in the bed now, eyes open and focused, his face a little flushed. 

Dean completely forgot about going after Gabriel at the sight of Castiel being awake. Taking the two steps that separates him from the bed and pulling the angel into a fierce hug. 

Castiel flinched when Dean pulled him close, still feeling pain from his broken wings. Dean noticed and let Cas go quickly, his hands holding onto the angel's biceps. Their eyes met and held as they looked at one another, the hunter's greens swimming with relieved tears and the angel's blues filled with love for the man in front of him.

"You had me really worried there for a moment!" Dean said finally, clutching the angels arms tighter. 

"I am sorry Dean" Castiel said back, a guilty tone to his voice.

"It's okay Cas'' Dean said quickly, lifting a hand to stroke gently at Castiel's cheek. "I'm just so fricking glad you're awake. Never do that again!"

Castiel chuckled weakly at that and Dean pulled him back to his chest. He quickly let him go again when he yelped in pain his wide green eyes raking over the angels form looking for any obvious injuries 

"You're still hurt?" He asked.

Castiel looked down at his lap as if in embarrassment, "My.. my wings were already in bad shape but they had healed.. but Gabriel.. he has brought the pain back"

Dean swallowed thickly, thinking about the state of his angel wings when he had seen them in the field, his eyes flicked to Castiel's back but he could no longer see the wings, they had been tucked from view once more. He remembered how they had looked when they had first met, he may have only seen their shadow but they were magnificent nonetheless so seeing them broken bare had almost caused the usually stoic hunter to weep.

"Is there no way of healing them?" Aziraphale said. He had stood from the bed and slowly made his way over to stand beside Dean and Castiel.

"I have tried," Jack said, his eyes sad when he looked at the principality. "But the damage is irreversible"

"It was a spell," Castiel explained. "It caused the angels to fall and my wings to burn. The magic can not be undone"

"Not by magic from your world at least" Beelzebub said from the doorway and everyone in the room. Turned to look at them.

The prince did not seem at all bothered by the stares as they stepped into the infirmary. Rowena and Sam also appeared in the doorway, both having different levels of concern in their eyes. Beelzebub walked over to stop on the other side of Castiel's bed to Dean And Aziraphale, the prince offering the principality a small smile before looking at Castiel.

“What do you mean by that?” Dean asked gruffly, trying to fight the urge to stand between the lord of flies and his obviously injured angel.

“I mean this spell that was cast upon this angel was done so with magic of your world. Of your god” They looked at Dean as they said this before looking directly back at Castiel. “But our magic is different. I think maybe I can help you. Or rather we can” They looked up at Crowley then and the demon squirmed on the spot.

“Ngk.. I.. I can't heal him” he squeeked, as Dean and Castiel looked over at him also. “I am a demon. My magic is for nothing but bad”

“We were angels once Crowley. The magic we possess comes from heaven; we never lost it when we fell. Beside you helped create the stars. You were once a great healer” Beelzbub said.

Aziraphale looked over at Crowley, noticing how uncomfortable he was. He offered the demon his hand and after a beat the demon accepted it, allowing himself to be pulled to the angels side. 

“You will help too, Aziraphale,” Beelzebub said, catching the angel's eye.

Aziraphale nodded and Beelzebub smiled smally before resting their eyes on Castiel once more.

“Show me your wings angel” the prince said.

Castiel's eyes widened then as he looked from the prince then over at Dean. “I..”he began but his voice caught in his throat and he looked down at his lap again. Dean reached out and took the angel's hands in his own, waiting for Castiel to look at him before he spoke.

“It's okay Cas” He urged gently, his eyes soft.

“I am ashamed” Castiel mumbled, his eyes pleading as he looked at Dean.

“Cas..” Dean said, before looking around noticing everyone's eyes on them. “Could we get a minute here guys''

“Of course Dean” Aziraphale said almost instantly, stepping away from the bed and pulling Crowley along with him. 

Beelzebub let out a small impatient noise but nodded their head anyway moving around the bed to stand with Edwin who had not moved closer during the conversation. When the prince stepped up beside their demon helper, Edwin was quick to make the prince sit on the now vacant hospital bed so that he could see to his bosses wounds. Beelzebub protested verbally but made no move to push Edwin away.

Once everyone had moved away from him and Castiel, Dean sat himself gingerly on the edge of the bed beside his angel. He squeezed the angel's hands, bringing his blue eyes away from his lap to look at the hunter once more. Dean offered him a small smile and Castiel tried to return it but ended up hiccuping on a small sob. Dean let go of Castiel's hands to place a hand on each one of the angels cheeks, forcing Castiel to keep eye contact with him.

“You do not have to be ashamed, Cas” he said softly so that only Castiel could hear. “We have been through so much together me and you and you have seen me at my best and at my worst and that never once stopped you from loving me” Castiel's cheeks became red but Dean's hands stayed secure to his face so he could not shy away. “So listen to me when I tell you that the state of your wings changes nothing about the way I feel about you. I mean yeah they were.. are cool but that's not what makes me want you. You, you are what I want, wings or no wings.. Damnit Cas I love you so fucking much baby please never feel ahsamed around me”

He sucked in breath when he had finished, ploughing ahead through his speech to give himself no time to chicken out. Dean did not like to speak about stuff like feelings and love; everyone knew he hated chick flick moments but seeing Castiel look so sad and vulnerable he knew he needed to hear it. Needed to be reassured and Dean would be damned if he could not do that for the love of his life.

A single tear fell from the corner of one of Castiel's blue eyes, gliding smoothly down his cheek to pool on the side of Dean's hand and the hunter swiped his thumb over the wet trail to wipe it away. He smiled at Castiel and the angel smiled back before Dean pulled him into a soft kiss. When he pulled away from Castiel, slightly breathless, as Castiel always had that effect on him, the angel nodded to tell him he was ready.

“Okay guys we’re good” He said, never taking his eyes off Castiel once and the angel leant into the hunters touch. 

Beelzebub batted Edwins hand away and jumped off the bed with practiced grace that only a supernatural being could have. They walked back over to Castiel's bed followed by Edwin, Aziraphale and Crowley doing the same. The prince pointed to the side next to him and Edwin took the spot understanding the prince's silent order to follow their lead.

“Now if you will” they said, directing their eyes on Castiel. 

The angel brought his hands up to squeeze Dean's wrist and the hunter leant down to place a chaste kiss to the angels forehead before stepping out of the way for Crowley to take his place, Aziraphale standing to his side. Castiel took an audible breath before he closed his eyes in concentration. His face took on a pained expression and with a rustle his skeletal wings materialized on his back. Edwin let out a gasp at the sight of them but one stern look from Beelzebub had him closing his mouth and looking over at Castiel in apology.

“Okay. Everyone together now” Beelzebub said, lifting their hand and placing them gently on Castiel's wing closest to them. Edwin did the same, placing his hands beside Beelzebubs while Crowley and Aziraphale did the same to the other wing.

Dean watched with concerned eyes as he stood beside Jack. When he glanced over at the nephilim he saw equal amounts of concern in his eyes. He reached out and hand to place on Jack's shoulder wondering if he was doing it for Jack's comfort of his own but deciding it did not matter as he looked back over at Castiel.

The four beings that stood around Castiel closed their eyes. At first nothing happened and Dean shifted from foot to foot in impatience, wanting nothing more than to be back beside his angel. Jack placed a comforting hand on Dean's own shoulder when he noticed, smiling softly at the hunter in reasurance. Dean tried to pull his mouth into a smile but it failed epically.

Then, the lights in the infirmary blew causing Rowena to let out a surprised noise which Sam rolled his eyes at but no one noticed. It did not stay dark however as a dim glow began to resonate from where Castiel sat up in the bed. Dean realized pretty quickly that the light seemed to be coming from Castiel's chest and he watched with fascination as the light became brighter by the second until he could no longer look and was forced to close his eyes to protect them.

He heard Castiel cry out and he took a blind step in his direction but Jack's hand on his shoulder kept him in place. Then there was a shockwave of power that sent Jack and Dean both tumbling backwards into the wall of the infirmary. Rowena and Sam were both thrown from the room from the pure impact.

Then the light was gone and the infirmary was pitch black.

A few seconds went by in darkness before Dean heard the clicking of fingers and lights to infirmary were brought back to life. He blinked rapidly, his eyes fighting to adjust after the bright assault. When they finally became clear enough to see he looked over at Castiel and his breath caught harshly in his throat.

Castiel was no longer in the bed, instead he stood to the side of it but that was not what had taken the hunter breath away. No, where Castiel's wings were once skeletal and bare, they were now full and alive with beautiful black feathers. Castiel shifted them experimentally and Dean watched in awe as the light caught them and the color went from black to the color of an oil slick in the sun, a rainbow of colors flowing across the feathers before turning to black again. Dean could not pull his eyes away as he climbed to his feet and stumbled over to Castiel.

Castiel almost looked shy as the hunter took in the sight of them. He reached out a hand but pulled it back, unsure of how Castiel would take the intrusion but the angel just smiled fondly and nodded his head. That was all the invitation Dean needed before he was burying his hand into the soft downy feathers at the base of Castiel's wing, where the wings met his shoulder blades. He stroked his hand up them following the curve of the wing with his eyes amazed at the size of some of the feathers which were easily the same length as his forearm. 

He felt the angels wings shudder under his hand and he pulled his palm away with an apology.

“It is alright Dean. I.. I just never thought I would be able to have this with you” He said, His eyes full of tears but the tears were not sad. If anything the angel looked happy, really happy.

Dean remembered that they were not alone then and pulled his hands away from the angel's wings, blushing violently. Castiel chuckled and the sound was music to the hunters ears. The angel pulled him close, not caring at all that they had an audience and kissed Dean with so much love and heat that the hunter was sure if not for Castiel's arms around him he would fall to the floor in a gooey puddle. When he had finished kissing Dean senseless he released the hunter and turned to the other angel and the demons who were all watching with amused smiles.

“I do not know how I will ever repay you” He said, looking at each of their faces.

“No need” Beelzebub said, waving their hand nonchalantly at Castiel. “I wouldn't have done it I didn't want too” 

Edwin scoffed and pushed playfully at the prince's shoulder before looking at Castiel. “What Beelzebub means to say is you are welcome”

Beelzebub all but growled at Edwin but the demon just laughed, throwing his arms around the princes shoulders. Aziraphale and Crowley chuckled at the scene before nodding over at Castiel.

“Woah!'' Sam breathed out when he stepped into the room after picking himself and Rowena up off the hall floor where they had been flung during the healing process. “Cas.. You look.. Great”

It was Castiel's turn to blush, having never received such a compliment from the younger hunter before. 

“Easy there Sammy he is taken” Dean teased, taking Castiel's hand in his own.

Sam threw a bitchface towards Dean but it just made Dean smile wider. 

“They are beautiful,” Jack said, stepping up behind Castiel to take a closer look. Castiel smiled further, stretching out his left wing to full size for Jack to see.

The energy in the room was buzzing with happiness and relief and even Beelzebub was smiling now as they tried to bat Edwin away from them. But the happiest of all was Castiel.


	23. The farewell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!  
> So as you can probably tell we are coming to the end of this story..  
> In fact there is only one chapter left after this 😱  
> I have had so much fun writing this story and i have had even more fun sharing it with you guys.  
> You're all amazing and supportive and just damn awesome.
> 
> Anyway..
> 
> Enjoy :)

“And this is our shooting range” Dean said as he leant into the room and flicked on the lights with practiced movements.

Aziraphale stepped into the room, his blue eyes wide with wonder as he traced the walls and shooting alleys.

“I can not believe you have your own shooting range” the angel commented as he walked to one of the allies and stared at the target at the other end. “Although this whole place is pretty unbelievable”

Dean smiled at that and leant against the doorway, letting the angel have the time to look around the range properly.

It had been three days since Gabriel was sent home and Castiel's wings were healed and Dean was taking the chance to give Aziraphale the fall tour before he returned home. Rowena had left two days earlier, claiming that she'd had enough excitement for a few days and needed to go back to her apartment to rest properly, she was sourly annoyed that her beauty sleep had been interrupted so much by the boys and their guests. 

Sam and Jack were in the library with Beelzebub and Edwin, having been in there all morning listening to the prince's stories. Jack couldn't get enough of them it seemed and Sam had stated he was listening for research but Dean had seen enough of the awe in his brothers eyes to know that Sammy was enjoying it nearly as much as Jack was.

He had offered to show the angel around earlier that morning when he had found Aziraphale sitting in the kitchen by himself over a cup of hot cocoa (Which Dean had been to the shops to fetch when he had found out it was his friends favourite). He had of course inquired about Castiel and Crowley's whereabouts but the angel had assured him that they were both okay and that Crowley was helping Castiel with his wing grooming. Dean had made a mental note to ask the demon about proper wing grooming before they left so that Castiel could ask Dean for help next time, seeing as the hunter could not get enough of touching his angel's soft feathers.

“Wanna have a go?” Dean asked, pulling his gun out of his pants to offer it to the angel.

Aziraphale turned to look at Dean and the hunter let out a chuckle at how worried Aziraphale became when his blue eyes landed on the handgun.

“Ugh.. Thank you but I will decline your offer” Aziraphale said in the politest voice he could muster.

Dean, knowing that the angel would never have said yes in the first place, put the gun back into his pants while shaking his head with a chuckle. Aziraphale smiled back at him before looking away at the target again. Dean did not miss the fact that the angel had begun to fidget with his waistcoat, a nervous tick that the hunter had become aware of since knowing him. He briefly wondered if it was his offer that had made the angel anxious but truthfully he knew what was bothering his friend.

Late the previous night Beelzebub had announced that they must return back to their world and the others should probably go with them. The prince had made the most of the past three days, going out with Dean or Sam whenever they left the bunker for supplies, sitting with Jack and learning about cartoons and video games. They had even been in the shooting range with Dean the day before learning how to use a gun. They had clearly had fun but Beelzebub seemed to live under the motto ‘All good things must come to an end’.

So yes, Dean knew what was bothering his friend and if he was being totally honest he did not blame the angel. They had sent Gabriel back through the book to the angel's world and as much as that had gotten him out of the Winchester's hair it still left him very much so in Airaphales and Crowleys. Dean pushed away from the door frame to step further into the room.

“Maybe we could come with you?” He offered, smiling at the angel when he snapped his head around to face Dean.

Aziraphale stared at the hunter for a long while, at first his face full of shock and if Dean was not mistaken, fear but then his face softened and he smiled kindly at Dean.

“Oh, you are a very kind dear boy,” Aziraphale said with a smile, forcing his hands to stop fidgeting. “But it is something I should deal with myself”

“But he almost killed you here? Surely you need back up?” Dean tried, generally worried for his friend.

In truth Dean had been planning to ask Aziraphale this for at least the last twenty four hours. He had laid in bed with Castiel, cocooned in the angel's black wings and spoke of his worry to his lover. Castiel had been just as worried and had actually agreed with Dean that maybe they should return with their friends just to play it safe. It was only now Dean was seeing the opportunity to ask.

“Do not worry Dean. Back home Gabriel has to play by the rules. Our mother is not one to condone violence amongst our kind even if Crowley would tell you otherwise.. and besides I would not be alone. I have Crowley and I feel we have made a close bond with Edwin and Beelzebub”

Dean wasn't entirely convinced but told himself to have faith in his friend. He had seen a touch of Beelzebubs power and knew that the prince could handle themselves. But would they protect his friends? Dean shook his head, that was unfair of him to think like that after all the prince had done for Castiel. If Beelzebub had done that out of the kindness of their heart then Dean must believe that they would still help Aziraphale and Crowley if they needed it.

“You can always come back though,” Dean said then, his eyes sincere. “You are always welcome here”

Aziraphale looked as though he could cry at Dean's kindness and crossed the room to place a hand on the hunter's shoulder. “Thankyou Dean, for everything. You are a good man and a good friend and I am lucky to have met you'' he squeezed the hunters shoulder for added envisis.

Dean's ears took on a pink color at the compliment, not really knowing where to place his eyes as he squirmed in front of the angel. “Err., s’fine.. I was the one who landed in your home anyway” he mumbled looking down at his feet.

“And I am so very glad you did so” Aziraphale smiled and Dean met his eyes finally and returned the smile if not somewhat awkwardly.

“I err.. I guess we should head back to the library? I think their lordship wanted to go back soon” Dean said, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb and smirking when Aziraphale chuckled at Dean's nickname for Beelzebub.

“I would like to finish the tour first,” Aziraphale said, smiling further at the surprise in the hunter's face. “If that is alright with you?”

Dean let out a carefree laugh then, throwing an arm around Aziraphale's shoulders to lead him out of the room. “Of course man!” he grinned and the angel returned it with blinding glee.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Several hours, a thorough tour and a long talk with Crowley on wing maintenance later, everyone was back in the library preparing to say their goodbyes. 

“Do you really have to go?” Jack all but whined as he stood in front of Aziraphale and Crowley.

The angel and demon shared a soft look before Aziraphale stepped forward to place a hand on each of Jack's shoulders.

“I am afraid we do, dear boy,” the angel said softly, his grip tightening on the boy's shoulders when Jack let out a sniffle. “But this is not goodbye, not really. We will see eachother again. I just know it" Jack brightened slightly at this, surprising the principality by stepping forward and embracing him tightly. Aziraphale let out a huff of laughter whilst tapping the boy on the back. “You will be alright Jack. In fact, like I said before you will be brilliant. I see great things in your future and great people to guide you on your way”

Jack released the angel, nodding his head at Aziraphales words. Aziraphale brought his palm up to gently tap the boy on the cheek before stepping out of the way so that Crolwey could take his place. Jack beamed up at the slightly taller demon and Crowley looked slightly awkward but returned the smile anyway. 

“It was nice to meet yah kid- OOF” The wind was knocked out of the demon when Jack hugged him tightly and Aziraphale stifled a chuckle at the scene. “Thankyou for the wolf toy Crowley. I will miss you” Crowley got over his surprise and hugged the boy back, ruffling his hair when Jack finally pulled away.

Sam came over to them then, waiting patiently for Jack to move aside so that he could give the angel and demon the same treatment. He pulled them both into a hug at the same time, his long arms easily wrapping around the pair of them. They both smiled eagerly though returning the hug and wishing the younger Winchester luck in the future, Aziraphale struggling to hold back tears knowing he would miss Sam very much.

Then came the hardest part as Dean and Castiel stepped up to the couple. “You sure you guys are gonna be alright? We are still happy to come back with you” Dean asked again, his face serious. Crowley noticed with amusement that the hunter was actually fully dressed and prepared for the trip, his boots and coat on and an angel blade obvious on his belt. 

“We’ll be alright Dean'' Crowley said, offering his hand to the hunter. Dean took it and shook once before pulling him into a quick hug that was punctuated by some strong slaps on the back. Dean then turned to Aziraphale and he was quick to give the angel the same treatment, hanging on a little longer before letting go. “Thankyou again Dean. I hope we can see eachother again soon. Please try and stay out of trouble”

“He will'' Castiel said, shooting Dean a look that the hunter just waved his hand at with a ‘yeah yeah'. "Good luck Aziraphale. I hope that things are alright back in your home. Did you make up your mind on whether you will be returning to heaven?”

Aziraphale seemed a little caught off guard by that question, noticing that Crowley had become rigid beside him. He gave his lover a soft look, reaching out to link finger with the demon and Crowley visibly relaxed from the action. “I will not be returning to heaven. It is not my home anymore. My home is on earth with you my dear” He said speaking to Crowley now. Crowley swallowed and made a few unrecognizable sounds before he nodded, his cheek bright red.

Castiel and Dean smiled at the scene, both happy about Aziraphale's choice even if they had already known Aziraphale would never leave Crowley behind.

“Hey Castiel,” Crowley said, still holding onto his angel's hand as he turned more towards the dark haired angel, “Now that we have a way back and forth, maybe I can come help with more hunts?”

Castiel chuckled softly at that and nodded his head looking at the both of them. “I think that would be most enjoyable. You both showed promise at hunting” Castiel said then winked at Aziraphale, the action making Dean laugh heartily. “I agree with him on that one” Dean said once he had finished laughing. “You are both grade A hunters in training”

All four of them laughed at that before Beelzebub cleared their throat, bringing their attention to the prince who stood by one of the large reading tables. The Good omens book sitting on said table waiting to be used. Their laughter died as they all made their way over to the prince. Castiel stepped closer to Beelzebub, the lord of flies eyeing him suspiciously but not backing away.

“Thankyou Beelzebub. I am forever in your debt” He said in his gravelly voice.

The prince's lips quirked upright slightly before being pulled into a more neutral expression as they cleared their throat again. “I said it was fine I..” They stopped themselves and almost looked embarrassed when they spoke again. “I should be thanking you really. All of you. These last few days have been the best I have had in centuries and I will treasure them for the longest of times”

Sam and Dean shared a look then before they turned back to the prince, smiles on their faces. “Just remember to have a little fun now and again” Sam said and the prince nodded their head at that before picking the book up from the table. 

“Everyone ready?” they asked and Aziraphale and Crowley nodded stepping up closer to the prince.

Beelzebub was about to open the book when Edwin let out a hurried “WAIT!” the prince gave them a curious look before Edwin was stepping away from the group, walking straight towards Sam. The younger hunter looked truly worried, even taking a step back but finding himself unable to move far when the back of his legs hit a lone library chair that had  _ definitely _ not been there before. Edwin chuckled when he stopped in front of Sam before he grabbed the lapels of his shirt and with supernatural strength pulled the hunter down to eye level. Sam looked about ready to lash out when Edwin placed a gentle kiss to his cheek. 

“Goodbye Sam'' Edwin purred letting go of Sam's shirt. The second the demon's grip was gone Sam fell back into the waiting chair with a look of pure shock on his face as he raised his hand to the part of his cheek that Edwin had kissed. “Er.. yeah.. bye” he grumbled out his cheeks becoming bright red when Dean wolf whistled. He shot his brother a death glare that only spurred Deans teasing on.

With that done Edwin all but skipped back over to his friends, Beelzebub giving him an impatient stare. Jack raised his hands in a non moving wave which Aziraphale returned before the prince opened the book. The pages come alive instantly, flicking of their own accord in the princes palms. Then bright light erupted from the cover engulfing the four beings until they were completely blocked from view. 

Then the light was gone and so were their friends. The good omens book lay closed on the floor where Beelzebub once stood. Dean quickly made his way over to pick it up, carefully dusting off the cover with his hand before he placed it back on the shelf where it belonged. 

“Who fancies burgers?” Dean asked, turning to face Sam, Castiel and Jack, each of them looking a little downhearted from their friend's departure.

“That would be lovely Dean'' Castiel finally said, offering his hand to Dean which the hunter took without hesitation. Jack and Sam also agreed it was a good idea, even though Dean just knew Sam would get some kind of unseemly salad. 

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Aziraphale found himself stumbling forward into his bookshop, he would have face planted a bookshelf if it was not for the quick movements of Crowley who caught the angel before he collided. 

“Easy ther angel” Crowley said, helping steady Aziraphale on his feet.

The angel let out a self conscious chuckle before he looked around himself. He let out a shocked gasp when he saw the state of his home. Several of the book cases were knocked over, ancient books spread across the floor, some pages ripped and tattered. The rest of the shop was in a similar state. The old threadbare sofa had been flipped over along with several of the small tables that decorated the shop. The back door was hanging off its hinges and the angel was thankful that no one had just let themselves in.

“Good heavens..” he mumbled, unable to pull his eyes away from the mess around him.

“Uhm..” Edwin said then and when Crowley and Aziraphale looked over at him he looked very guilty indeed. “I’m sorry.. when me and Hastur came here before we.. well we er..”

“Made an enormous mess!” Crowley all but growled, fixing his friend with an angry glare.

“Y-yeah.. it was Hasturs idea.. I.. I am really sorry” He said, looking down at his feet in shame.

Crowley opened his mouth to say more, clearly wanting to shout at the demon for making such a mess of his angels' home but Aziraphale stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “It’s alright Edwin,” the angel said softly, waiting for the demon to look at him again before he said more. “We were on opposite sides then. So I forgive you”

Edwin looked generally surprised by the angel's quick forgiveness and he smiled warily, his orange eyes still filled with guilt.

“We will help you tidy the mess,” Beelzebub said.

The prince had landed gracefully when they had come through and felt rather guilty about the state of the place themselves. When Edwin and Beelzebub had used the supernatural book to hop over to Sam and Deans world they had come back to the angel bookshop to do so, the prince had seen the mess then and had not cared but now after sharing the time they had with the angel they were starting to feel pretty awful about it.

Aziraphale nodded his thanks before the four of them began to tidy the shop. Edwin busied himself with collecting the booked from the floor as Crowley lifted the fallen book cases back to their rightful positions. Beelzebub went to the back of the shop to fix the broken door and the glass windows that had been shattered and Aziraphale flipped the sofa back over and righted all the tables that had been thrown asscue. 

Before long and with a few demonic and holy miracles alike, the shop was looking good as new. Beelzebub walked up to Aziraphale who was standing in the center of the shop looking incredibly pleased with all their hard work and handed him the Supernatural book that had been dropped carelessly when Beelzebub had last used it. Aziraphale gave the prince a thankful smile before he walked to the bookcase that held the display case on top of it. With a click of his fingers the stepladder appeared and the angel made his way up to place the book safety behind glass.

“Well” Beelzebub said, as Crowley and Edwin came to stand with Aziraphale and the prince to look up at the display case. “We should probably go. I need to get out of this disguise and see what damage has been done downstairs”

“At least stay for a hot drink first” Aziraphale suggested ignoring the chuckle that Crowley let out at the request, “You worked hard helping me fix my shop and not to mention the other help you have given.. Its the least I can do”

Beelzebub considered it a moment, glancing at Edwin who smiled and shrugged his shoulder before they turned back to the angel and nodded their head in agreement. Aziraphale let out a pleased noise before heading to the back of the store where his small kitchenette resided. Crowley led Edwin and Beelzebub through to the old sofa and waved his hand towards it so that they would sit.

“What are you going to do now then?” Crowley asked as he fell down into a comfy chair, throwing his legs over the arms.

“I suppose what I have always done. Return to hell. keep everyone in check” Beelzebub returned dryly before they looked over at Edwin. Edwin had picked up an ancient scroll that had been beside the sofa and was looking at it with interest. Beelzebub found themselves smiling fondly at the demon. Edwin had been incredibly supportive of the prince, never once making them stop their fun for the job at hand even encouraging them on several occasions. Edwin would make a good Duke, better than the ones who had come before him and Beelzebub wanted no one to be their number one demon than him. “There will be a few changes though” Beelzebub mumbled, smiling at Edwin when the demon looked over at them.

Crowley hummed his reply, closing his eyes to listen to the sounds of Aziraphale busying himself in the kitchen. He was more than glad to be back here. As much as he would miss all his friends in the other world there was nowhere quite like Aziraphale's bookshop. A thought struck him then and he opened his eyes to look up at the ceiling.

“I am surprised Gabriel wasn't here waiting for us. It's weird dontcha think?”

“I am also surprised he was not here. He seemed pretty certain he was going to make us all pay but yet he is absent” Beelzebub said, squinting their eyes.

“It's a good thing though right? Him not being here I mean” Edwin offered, looking at the prince.

Beelzebub shrugged their own shoulders, wondering what could have happened to the obnoxious archangel. 

Aziraphale walked into the room then, holding a tray out in front of him filled with four cups of hot chocolate and a mountain of assorted biscuits. He was about to place the tray down on the table when the world around them began to shake. Aziraphale quickly put the tray down but let out a shocked noise when it just vibrated across the table and spilt contents onto the newly cleaned floorboards. The others were on their feet, each looking more worried than the next as the shop shook violently.

The angel felt it before the light erupted in the room. It was holy. It was pure and when he squinted into the light, the three demons cowering behind him he knew for sure what it was. 

It was heaven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't shoot me for the cliffhanger..
> 
> The last chapter will be posted on Friday
> 
> <3


	24. The end/ The new beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So hey, this is it. The last chapter.  
> Man, i don't even know what to say. I started writing SuperOmens as a totally self indulgent project because SPN and GO mean so much to me and i wanted to see their worlds mixed..  
> The fact that you guys have loved it and encouraged me, the comments and Kudos.. Its amazing, you're amazing.  
> I cannot say Thankyou enough.  
> Anyway, shush Jinx.. heres the last chapter :)  
> Really hope you enjoy <3

Aziraphale blinked and the four of them were no longer alone in his shop. Across the room, standing in the center of the shop were three angels. Aziraphale knew them straight away and found himself swallowing against the sudden dryness in his throat.

Michael stood in the center and flanking them on either side were Sandalphon and Uriel, both of the former looking displeased with being in such a place as Soho London. 

Aziraphale had the smallest moment to panic about the fact that Crowley was still behind him, standing stock still with the other demons before Michaels blue eyes landed on the principality.

“Michael” Aziraphale greeted, forcing a smile onto his face. “What brings you here?”

Michael almost looked confused for a second at Aziraphales question but quickly contained their features and smiled coldly at the angel. Aziraphale noticed that Sandalphon was now looking past him at Beelzebub and the two other demons and Aziraphale moved slightly to block his line of sight. He had been caught red handed fraternizing with not one but three demons, one being the prince of hell but he found himself not caring about what the angels thought of him. Only caring about the fact he did not like the way Sandalphon eyed his friends and lover.

“We have come to collect you,” Michael said. “Seeing as you did not show up to your appointment we thought we would come to you instead. You are wanted in Heaven, Aziraphale”

Aziraphale stiffened slightly. He had not checked the date or time since coming back to this world. Was it really the day of the meeting already? Must be, otherwise there is no way Michael would come down to earth, seeing as the archangel saw it as below them just like Gabriel did. 

While the angel stood, trying to get his thoughts into order and get over the shock of the other angels surprise visit he didn't notice that Crowley had moved forward until the demon was right next to him, an angry snarl on his handsome features.

“Aziraphale aint going anywhere with you lot” He snapped, his voice loud in the otherwise silent shop.

“Excuse me?” Michael asked, blinking in surprise at the demon.

“You heard me, Michael. He is not leaving with you” Crowley repeated again, standing his ground.

“How dare you speak to Michael with such disrespect!” Uriel said then, stepping forward themself to glare angrily at Crowley.

Aziraphales mind was still trying to catch up with the situation. He watched as Crowley stood defiantly and was even more surprised when Edwin stepped up to stand at the angels otherside, clearly jumping to his two friends' defence.

“We are demons you pigeon, we do what we want” Edwin said, smirking at the fury that sparked in Uriel's eyes at the insult.

“Pigeon?! You disrespectful little rodent” Uriel all but shrieked before nodding at Sandalphon.

Sandalphon had obviously been waiting for the go ahead and took three long steps towards Aziraphale and the two demons, cracking his knuckles as he did so. He stopped in his tracks suddenly though when to Aziraphales ever growing surprise Beelzebub stepped in front of them, blocking Sandalphons path. Sandalphon looked actually afraid then and Aziraphale realized it was the first time he had ever seen the angel so. He had to hold back a small chuckle at the sight of it.

Michael let out a furious huff of breath through their nose, before stepping forwards themselves and pushing Sandalphon roughly out of the way to eye the prince.

“What are you doing here Beelzebub? Your place is in hell” Michael said coldly.

“My place is wherever I choose” Beelzebub replied back calmly, smiling at the Archangel.

Michael looked truly furious at that, pulling their gaze away from the prince to fix on Aziraphale once again. “Is this really what you have stooped to Aziraphale? The protection of demons?” They said the last word with such disgust it actually got Aziraphale's hackles up and he made a move so that he stood next to the prince.

“They are my friends Michael. They care about me, unlike you ever did. In fact I would say they are better than you in every way” Aziraphale said defiantly, raising his head high as he spoke.

“You truly have fallen in every way that matters haven't you” they said then, shaking their head and turning their back on them. “Take him” They said to Uriel and Sandalphon. “We are late enough as it is”

Everything happened fast then. Sandalphon and Uriel advanced on the four of them and Aziraphale found himself being shoved backwards by the prince. He stumbled on his feet, unable to right himself he fell with a thump onto his back side. He looked up in time to see Sandalphon make a grab for Crowley and the demon bringing his fist up to strike the angel harshly across the face. Edwin was beside Crowley then, pulling Sandalphon off of his friend and throwing him back against a bookcase. Uriel and Beelzebub were in a similar situation, the angel throwing strike after strike at the prince and the prince just barely managing to hold their ground.

Aziraphale pushed back up onto his knees, his eyes tracking the demons and angels movements until they fixed on Micheal who had made no move to join the fight, instead standing back to watch it play out with amusement on their face.

The principality felt true anger then. How dare they come into his home. Assault his friends and his lover. Demand that he leave with them. He was on his feet in an instant, the world around him fading until all he could see was Michael. Michael noticed Aziraphale's movements, their cornflour eyes fixing on him in turn. 

Aziraphale took a moment to pray. Pray that they would leave, that his lover and friends would be okay. That he would be able to force Michael out. He did not make it a step towards the Archangel before there was a loud vibrating blast that forced the angels and demons that were fighting away from each other. The shockwave was so strong it caused Aziraphale to fall backwards once more, this time thankfully he landed on the sofa. 

Then an almighty orb of blinding light appeared in the center of the shop, floating a foot above the old floorboards. Aziraphale made himself stand again, the light almost blinding.

Azirahale blinked in confusion, his eyes adjusting in time to see Michael drop to their knees, their face scared as they bowed their head. The light did not fade, instead it grew in intensity as it pulsed through the library.

_ Michael. What is going on here? _

Aziraphale felt his own knees give out at the sound of the voice, falling heavily to the ground, his hands clasped in front of him. 

"M-my Lord" Michael said, head still bowed. "We came to collect the principality but he had demons waiting to attack us"

"Bullshit!" Crowley yelled, eyes clamped shut from the blinding light. "You came here to try and take Aziraphale against his will"

There was a beat of silence as the light seemed to pulse faster for a moment before it settled to slow pulses again.

_ Michael, Sandalphon and Uriel you will return home at once _

"But.." Michael began, their voice shaking.

_ Do not make me say it again _

Aziraphale shuddered at the tone of voice the lord now spoke in, squinting his eyes at Michael and watching as the Archangel nodded their head before disappearing. Sandalphon and Uriel followed only seconds later.

Although the sphere of light that floated in the center of the shop had no decipherable features Aziraphale felt the unmistakable feeling of eyes landing on him. He swallowed thickly.

_ Aziraphale. I.. _

The Lord stopped speaking as if distracted or possibly noticing something for the first time.

_ Beelzebub? It has been a while hasn't it? _

Beelzebub still had their eyes covered and let out a small whimpering sound as the lord's gaze fell on them.

_ Do not be afraid little fly. I want nothing more than to thank you _

"T-thank me?" Beelzebub managed, opening their eyes just a fraction.

_ Yes. You did well protecting Aziraphale _

Beelzebub said nothing but inwardly they wondered how God was even aware of such things.

_ There is nowhere that my sight does not reach Beelzebub _

The lord said in answer to Beelzebubs silent question and if Aziraphale was not mistaken he could hear a slight tone of amusement on the lord's voice.

_ But I think you should return to your home now Beelzebub. There is a certain Duke down there that has plans to take your throne.  _

Beelzebub forced their eyes open wider, although the light burned them. Their mind reeled on what the Lord could mean but deep down they knew it had something to do with Hastur. They reached out blindly, searching. When their hand closed around that of Edwins they pulled the demon close until they were practically embraced. The prince looked down at Edwin, the demon had his eyes clamped shut and he was shaking head to foot.

Beelzebub knew that being this close to God themself was having a very negative effect on their colleague, Archangels were one thing, God was another. 

"It's alright Edwin. I have you. Let us go" they whispered and Edwin nodded his head slightly, his free hand clinging to the prince's clothes. 

Beelzebub tried to peer through the light to see Crowley but the demon was across the room to them, hidden by the light. They could see Aziraphale though and the angel raised their hand in a non moving wave, similar to Jacks, a small sad smile on his face. Beelzebub nodded at the angel then in a blink of an eye, they were gone.

The Lord let out a small amused sound before Aziraphale felt the holy gaze land on him again.

_ Now. What was I saying? Oh, yes. Aziraphale I- _

Yet again the Lord was cut off when Aziraphale heard the sound of running. He looked in the direction of it and was surprised to see Crowley. The demon threw himself in between the principality and God and although the pure presence of the lord must have been causing the demon discomfort Crowley stood strong and tall, a barrier between the almighty and the kneeling principality.

"Leave 'im alone!" He demanded, his voice shaking but his legs stood strong.

_ Well. Hello Crowley _

Aziraphale was again left confused by the Lord's soft tone. Crowley did not seem to notice though, his hands balled into fists as he stood the lord down.

"He's done okay! He did everything you guys wanted of him and he is done" Crowley all but screamed.

_ Is that so? _

The lord asked in an amused voice.

"Yeah it's true" Crowley barked. "He made mistakes, sure. We all make mistakes but he was the best of your lot up there"

_ Yes. He was. _

"But I don't care. You're gonna have to replace him. Because he is mine and I am his and we will not be separated" he was yelling now, his whole body shaking with the effort to stay in the lord's presence. Azirapale found himself reaching forward to take one of Crowley's hands and the demon took it, his eyes never leaving the orb of holy power in front of him.

_ Oh sweet demon. I would not dream of it _

"Yeah well you know what… wait.. ngk.. what did you say?"

_ I said I would never dream of separating the two of you. Not after waiting six thousand years for you to both get together. _

"You.." Crowley began but his voice broke. He cleared his throat and tried again. "You want us to.. be together?"

_ Oh yes. I was starting to wonder if it would never happen. _

Shocked and disbelieving Aziraphale was on his feet beside his demon. He felt a mix of relief and anger bubbling in his chest and had no way of controlling what spilled out.

"You watched us all this time? For what?" His tone became accusing, "were we some kind of entertainment for you?!"

The Lord laughed, actually  _ laughed _ and the sound had Aziraphale and Crowley sharing a wide eyes look.

_ It was not like that at all Aziraphale.  _

_ I witnessed your first meeting atop the wall in Eden. I could tell from the start that you both shared something special, something unique. _

_ I did not intervene because what you two felt for one another was love. Real love. I hoped that my angels and the demons in hell would see this. See that two beings from different worlds could see their differences and love each other unconditionally anyway _

_ Alas though, it seems that they are just too stubborn to see how marvelous the two of you really are. I should apologize for their behaviour; it was unseemly, especially that of Gabriel. _

Aziraphale and Crowley stood stunned when the lord finally stopped talking. They both had so many questions. The Lord knew of their relationships and what? Liked it? They approved? Were they supposed to me martyrs in all this? Where the hell even was Gabriel?

_ You do not have to worry about Gabriel. He is in a time out a few galaxies away. I felt he needed time alone to reflect on his bad behaviour _

Crowley was the first to speak of the two, his voice sounding a lot more smaller. "Then why was Aziraphale summoned home?"

_ Oh, well. I wanted to see him of course. I missed my principality and I also wanted to give him my blessing _

"B-blessing?" Aziraphale questioned in a shaky voice.

_ Yes Aziraphale. I am your mother. I wanted you to know after all this time I thought it was only right that you know that I am happy for you. For you both _

Aziraphale and Crowley looked at each other then. Complete disbelief evident on both of their features. After all of that, after the running and the fighting and blood the summon to heaven had been for nothing more than a blessing from above to carry on and be happy.

The angel couldn't believe it. 

Crowley jumped slightly when Aziraphale started to laugh. It was the most carefree laughter the demon had heard from the angel in a very long time and before he could stop himself he was laughing too. They could not stop, all the stress and worry from the past few days melting away. They embraced each other then, the light of the lord shining down on them as Aziraphale kissed his demon under the watchful eye of God and the feeling was ecstatic.

_ So sweet. The two of you. I wish you both happiness and joy for the rest of time _

They separated when the Lord stopped speaking and Aziraphale noticed the light was fading. God was returning home.

"Wait!" Crowley called, turning more to the orb of light. "What about Beelzebub?"

The light grew again and Crowley could actually  _ feel  _ eyes on him.

_ Are you worried about them? _

Crowley nodded.

_ While you were away on your adventure, Hastur decided he would try and take Beelzebubs place. _

"That's ridiculous!" Aziraphale gasped.

_ It is, isn't it?  _

_ Beelzebub will return to hell and dismiss the Duke. Hastur will be stripped of his position.  _

_ Beelzebub will then offer it to Edwin, who will hesitantly accept the title of Duke. _

Aziraphale and Crowley listened, smiles forming on their faces. "And will they be happier?" The angel asked.

_ Oh yes. During their time together in the other world, They have both grown very fond of each other. There is love there and I can feel it. _

_ They will rebuild and rewrite the rules of hell, they will have fun. _

Crowley beamed now, his face almost hurting but he did not care. Beelzebub had found a friend in Edwin and Crowley knew that Edwin would help the prince have fun and actually enjoy their existence for once and hopefully for the rest of it.

_ Now if you do not mind, I have some angels to speak with.  _

_ Blessings to you both.  _

_ Oh and Aziraphale _

"Yes Lord"

_ Do not be a stranger _

With that the light was gone, leaving both Aziraphale and Crowley blinking floaters from their eyes. They both stared at the spot the lord once was, unable to believe what had happened now that it was over.

"Well.. that happened '' Crowley said, finally breaking the spell they felt they were under.

Aziraphale nodded and laughed, pulling the demon into a chaste kiss before holding him tight. He was delighted to hear about Beelzebub and Edwin. Satisfied that Gabriel was being punished, knowing that time alone with himself with no one to brag to was surely the worst punishment of all for the obnoxious Archangel.

Most of all he was happy that he had not been taken from Crowley. That he and his love could live in peace and truly not worry about the eyes of heaven or the leagues of hell interrupting their time together. 

He glanced at the Supernatural book that had bared witness to the whole thing and wished he could tell Castiel and Dean about what had happened. He smiled knowing that they were just a page turn away and Aziraphale made an oath that he would see them all again very soon and share their tale with his friends.

He looked back at Crowley, the demon looked slightly flushed, his cheeks shining an apple red and Aziraphale had to hold back the urge to nibble on them. Thinking if nibbles he took Crowley's hand in his once more.

"I think we are late for our lunch," he said, smiling widely at the demon.

Crowley frowned for a moment, then remembering that the angel was referring to the lunch they never had, he returned the smile with a chuckle.

"The latest you have ever been to anything Angel" he teased and the angel batted his hands away playfully.

They both left the book shop, stepping on to the busy London street and breathing in the air of their home. Aziraphale slid into the familiar comfort of Crowley's vintage Bentely and when the demon hopped into the drivers side the angel leant across and kissed his cheeks causing the demon to blush.

"I love you Crowley" he cooed softly, nuzzling his nose into the demon's soft red hair.

"Ngk.. I love you too angel" 

Then the engine was puring to life and they were speeding off to the ritz. To enjoy their first lunch together knowing they were truly free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Waaah!! So sad that its over.. 
> 
> Hey, if you liked this then i hope you stick around, I will begin posting a new story next Friday.  
> Its a happy feel good Destiel fic, so if that's something you're into then stay tuned
> 
> Thankyou again, you lovely people
> 
> ❤

**Author's Note:**

> Thankyou for reading!! <3
> 
> Kudos are appreciated and comments give me life <3


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